It’s all about the relationship

Me and three cats

Three of our cats simply adore me. They follow me around the house, they sit on me when we’re watching TV, they’re often not too far away from me, seemingly afraid they’ll miss out on some much-needed attention.

The reason for this is because of the relationship I’ve formed with these cats. I pay attention to them. I know just how they like their ears scratched, and which ones will have their tummy rubbed. (And which ones will snap at me when I try to do that!) I know where they like to eat their treats and which toys are the favorites of each of them. What I mean is, I pay attention to them, and I cue off the ways they communicate with me.

My customers aren’t much different. They have work style preferences and like things done in certain ways. Some don’t want me to touch their computers but would rather have me show them what needs done. Other times, they’ll get up from their chair and sit down on the other side of the office until a problem is fixed.

Knowing their preferences and how to interact with them is all about relationship building.

I frame almost everything in life in relational not transactional terms. Life to me is all about the relationships that I form. Not just the relationships with my cats, but also my wife, my auto mechanic, the person who’s serving my food in the restaurant. And also the relationships I have with my customers. Knowing their preferences and being able to anticipate their needs enables me to provide them with better service, so I seek out opportunities to interact with my customers. I don’t usually pass an opened door without stopping to ask how things are. I do things to try to drive foot traffic into my office so more people will stop by thus allowing me to touch their machines and check for updates and things.

The people I support are pretty important in my eyes. Not only are they educating the next generation of leaders in this country, but we’re also an R-1 research facility where some world class research occurs that has the potential to be life changing! (If you think I’m kidding, the Rice Krispy Treat was invented right here in 1934!)

Life isn’t a series of transactions where you conduct your transaction then move on. The relationships we form are what’s going to pave the way for us work more closely, be more collaborative and resolve conflict more efficiently.


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