Have you ever had a great relationship with someone (business or personal), and now it’s in the toilet? You can’t figure it out. You’re sitting there scratching your head!
All you’re thinking is “What the heck happened?!”
Back in 2008, when Youth Hoops was founded, Joe and I worked closely together. After a while, our direct engagements became less frequent.
Then one day, Joe approached me and said, “I want out!” For years, I couldn’t make sense of what Joe did. In my head, his actions were inexcusable. But being professional, I gracefully accepted what he said and moved on.
I’ve had this happen to me several times: with family, with acquaintances, within the corporate world and within school administrations. The one common link was me. As much as I believed it was the other person, there had to be something I was doing wrong. Then, I finally figured it out.
I didn’t consistently NURTURE my relationships!
Here are a few of my violations:
1. Reduced number of family phone calls.
2. Devoid of coming into office for face time with colleagues.
3. Too independent and minimally engaged with school administration.
Now, when it’s time to acquaint or work together, there’s no desire. And in some cases, they won’t want to deal with you at all.
BOTTOM LINE: People want constant acknowledgement of their value. If you acknowledge them, chances are you’ll have a beautiful relationship. If not, good luck.
Remember this: any relationship you care about, nurture it, and nurture it often.
