Are You Building Relationship Capital?

“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” – Oprah Winfrey

Relationships….So important. Sometimes so easy. Many times, so complicated. Relationships are everywhere. With your spouse, your friends, your mom, your dad, your client, your co-workers, your kids, your dog. You get the picture.

Very few things in this world get done without the assistance of someone else. Whether it’s someone helping you move a TV into your house or a project you’re trying to finish at work and you need some input.

If you’re selfish and don’t care about nurturing relationships, you will eventually fall behind. Think about it like a bank account. You need to make deposits into someone else’s account. This builds trust and, certainly, the foundation for a strong bond.

You can’t take money out of the bank before you deposit any, can you? Same concept here. People are more apt to work with you, to fight for you, to go out of their way to help you, to love you….when you’ve shown that you give first (and take second).

Now, the key here is to not always think you’re going to get something in return. That’s not the reason you do this. You need to be sincere. This needs to be in your inner core. I guarantee you this, if you take this mindset into all of your relationships, you will get a lot more in return than you can ever expect.

This is something we all can work on. Many people I talk to understand the concept, but have a hard time living it. The issue many times is not at work. It’s at home. In this 24/7 world of work, it’s easy to focus on the business aspect of this, while neglecting the personal part of this. I know I fall victim to this at times (ask my wife). We tend to take work home with us. I’m talking more about mentally – just because you don’t have your laptop up, doesn’t mean your mind isn’t focused on work. Fifty years from now, no one’s going to remember all the things you did at work. They’re going to remember the relationships you’ve built, especially personally. What do your kids or your spouse (insert any relationship in here) say about you to others? That’s the key.

“In your relationships with others, remember the basic and critically important rule: If you want to be loved, be lovable.” – Unknown