Were in the relationship business...airplanes are what we use to provide a service. remarked Colleen Barrett, President and COO Southwest Airlines remarked,

Are you in the relationship business? Of course you are. Everyone who has to work with, deal with, sell to, convince, etc. is! Unless youre on a deserted island, you must connect with, interact, and influence people every single day. Winning relationships result when people make a positive connection.

However, strong relationships seldom happen overnight. It takes time to gain trust, to obtain information, and to demonstrate your integrity. Building strong relationships is a process. Its not magic; its not chemistry; its not luck. Because it is a process you can learn it and you can replicate it throughout your organization. The three steps in building winning workforce and business relationships are:

What you think your mind set.
Not surprisingly you must first believe in the value of building relationships. If you dont think relationships make a difference to your professional or personal success, why make the effort (and it is an effort) to learn how to build good ones? Smart leaders understand the ultimate power of relationships both inside and outside their organization.

What you ask the information you gather.
Smart leaders ask questions to identify shared interest, experiences and common ground. They show an interest in what others have to say; acknowledge their perspective and ideas. Are you making the time to really get to know your staff, co-workers, peers and customers?

What you do the ability to effectively interact with people.
Smart leaders are able to understand themselves and how their behavior impacts others; are approachable and create an environment of trust; have a sincere desire to assist others in the pursuit of goals; are able to tune in accurately to the needs of others and then treat them accordingly; build networks and find common ground to minimize conflict and maximize rapport.

Remember, profitable relationships are keys to business and professional success. Skill in building and maintaining relationships are valuable not only to sales people but to everyone from the shop floor to the top floor and everything in between.

Marcia Zidle

Marcia Zidle, M.S. N.C.C., the ?people smarts? coach, works with business, government and community leaders to quickly solve their people management headaches so they can concentrate on their #1 job ? to grow and increase profits. Her services include:

• What Really Works Handbooks ? resources for managers and supervisors on the front line
• Power-by-the-Hour Programs ? fast, convenient, real life, affordable courses for leadership and staff development
• Your Strategic Partner ? support to leaders who are in positions of high expectations, high visibility and high payoff.

Marcia is founder of Leadership Hooks, a business coaching company, which helps executive teams, operations managers, business owners and agency directors to move their organizations from seat-of-the-pants to feet-on-the-ground leadership.

She brings over 20 years experience from a wide variety of workplace settings, countries, and industries including: health care, financial services, professional practices, automotive and light manufacturing, energy, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, event management, education, non-profits, local and state government.

Finally, Marcia's ?claim to fame? is experiencing expatriate living with her family in Scandinavia and Australia. She has traveled in over 30 countries throughout Europe, the Middle East, Far East, and South Pacific. She welcomes invitations to speak internationally so that she can add to her growing list of interesting places to explore.