Relationships First

To build a winning team, organization and family I’m convinced that we must create engaged relationships. Engaged relationships are interactive, collaborative, and meaningful and they are essential because to effectively lead, coach, work or live with someone we must truly know and have a strong bond with them.

This may seem obvious yet we live in a world where stress and busyness too often sabotage us from developing great relationships at work and home. With projects to complete, to-do lists to accomplish, goals to hit, and outcomes to achieve... life can feel like we are on a runaway bus in the movie Speed. We’re driving through life 100 miles per hour and instead of taking the time to get people on our bus, we run them over—and if you have people under your bus that’s not good for team building. :) We become so focused on creating success that we don’t make the time to develop the relationships that lead to true success.

In this spirit I want to encourage you to do what Mansfield, Texas School District did last year. Their Superintendent, who spoke before me at their convocation, declared that as educators we will focus on RELATIONSHIPS FIRST. He said, "while we as a district have goals and outcomes we want to achieve, it is our relationships with each other and our students that will help us achieve them."

Standardized test scores will rise when teachers make time to get to know their students. Businesses will grow when employees grow their relationships with their team members and customers. Sales numbers soar when sales people take the time to cultivate loyal relationships. Sports teams perform at a higher level when the coach creates engaged relationships with his/her players. And families are strengthened when we spend quality time with our spouses and children. (This is something I’ve personally worked on the past year).

When you make the time to engage people and nurture relationships you’ll realize that the quality of your business, family and life is determined by the quality of your relationships. After all, it’s not the numbers that drive the people but the people and relationships that drive the numbers.

Trying to build a winning team without great relationships is like trying to build a house on sand. It won’t stand. Relationships are the rock that creates the foundation upon which winning teams are built.

Do you agree or disagree with this newsletter? What would you add to it? Share your thoughts on our blog.

Stay Positive!

Jon