What Works: The Importance of Business Relationships

When business owners were asked in a survey what their most precious resource was, the pre-dominant answer was (drumroll please) PEOPLE. Relationships, partnerships, and contracts with people are a businesses’ most precious asset. So, if this is the case, why do with people fall through the cracks?

Company culture, although it can guide decision making and create cohesiveness that can increase productivity, is sometimes an afterthought. Sales programs are put together without the thought of making referral easy. Executives attend networking meetings, shake hands, and make promises, yet the follow through is lacking. Why? It’s the same reason any relationship falters. The day to day gets in the way and, because process hasn’t been built into routine, the relationship slips. Communication is limited. Some relationships fail.

This coming Monday on my radio show Drive Time: Your Motivational Drive in the Morning, I will be talking to experts on relationships: community relationships, relationships with a significant other, and your relationship with yourself. I feel this is an important topic because communication is the not so magical magic in creating profitable relationships.

Is your company relationship-ready and proficient? Or are you unknowingly letting your most important and profitable relationships slip?

Here’s a self-check so you can find out for yourself.
— Can you describe your company culture in 5 words? What would those words be?
— Can those who work within your company get three out of those five words right?
— Do you make strategic decisions based off real data?
— Do you ask your customers, employees, contractors, and suppliers, about how decisions at the top impact them? How often?
— Can the people involved with your business describe clearly what your business does?
— Are the people involved with your business actively supporting your business through ideas, referrals, or other resources? If not, how could you build this into the way you do business?
— When you go to a networking meeting, do you follow up on the connections you make? If not, how can you put a system to follow up in place?
— When you make a promise, to connect someone with someone else, deliver a product or service, or follow up on a request, do you fulfill on your promises? If not, what stops you?

Since I believe life mirrors business and business mirrors life, I’d like to offer you this anecdote to understand what this would look like in a one-to-one relationship.

Imagine you are in a relationship with someone and they didn’t know what you cared about. Sometimes, when you are with them, you wonder what you even care about. Every time this person had a decision to make about your relationship, they make it without asking. It seems they don’t care if what they do impacts you or not. Either you are along for the ride or you aren’t. When they introduce you to people they get you all wrong. You feel they don’t understand you at all. They also don’t introduce you to their friends. You’ve introduced them to your friends but they don’t do anything beyond say hello. Occasionally, they will make a promise which they won’t fulfill.

How happy would you be in this relationship?
Would you stay in this relationship?
Would you continue to connect this person with people who could benefit them?

This is an extreme case. But, would you want to be in a relationship with this person? How about a person who has elements of these traits?

Now, you can wake up from this nightmarish vision. Because, without the Scrooge-epiphany, it’s not too late to be able to answer yes to all eight of the questions above. All you need to do is become aware and open to asking questions. A curious organization is an organization open to new ways to create cash flow.

Oh, and if your non-work relationship sounded a little too much like the anecdote, being aware and open to asking questions can help that too.

I’m curious about what you think. The floor is yours, Carson City.

SAY HELLO AND LET’S GET INNOVATIVE TOGETHER

Listen On Your Radio or Streaming: Start your week off right by listening to “Drive Time” with Diane Dye Hansen on KNVC 95.1 from 6 am to 8 am on Monday mornings. Happy, motivational music, positive spins on negative news, interviews with people in the community who can bring joy into your life. Email diane@whatworksconsultants.com if you would like to be featured as a guest and have GREAT inspiration to share on non-commercial public radio. Stream past episodes or listen live at www.knvc.org

Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs: Spring into action on your business! Entrepreneur’s Assembly, Carson City chapter meets Wednesday, August 8, 2018 in The Studio at Adams Hub for Innovation and every second Wednesday of each month. Free mastermind group. The Carson City chapter was voted Entrepreneur’s Assembly Chapter of the Year 2017. 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

NEED GUIDANCE? GET IT FREE: Motivation Monday is back at Adams Hub for Innovation with NEW HOURS – 10:30 am – 2:30 pm each Monday. Email diane@whatworksconsultants.com to schedule two free 30-minute sessions or one free hour to help you with your business – Brought to you courtesy of Adams Hub for Innovation. If your company is in transition (of any kind), please take Diane’s offer for this help.

ABOUT DIANE DYE HANSEN
Diane Dye Hansen has more than 20 years of experience in communication and change management gained in the sectors of government, non-profit, healthcare, publishing, advertising, entertainment, and technology. Her Critical Opportunity Theory helps organizations turn challenge into opportunity.

She is the president and founder of What Works Consultants, Inc., a consulting firm which helps business leaders and those who lead government and non-profit organizations understand the people who matter most and communicate to them in a strategic and meaningful way.

This is done through research, strategic communication planning, change management consulting, human resources recruitment and training. She is the host of Drive Time – Your Motivational Drive in the Morning on KNVC, Carson City Community Radio, a regular columnist on CarsonNow.org and volunteer mentor at Adams Hub for Innovation, and on the board of directors for Proscenium Players, Inc, Carson City’s longest running theater company. And, to answer your question, yes she does sleep. To meet her and learn how she and her team can help your company, visit What Works Consultants, Inc. online at www.whatworksconsultants.com.