As you can imagine, this article title in Inc. caught my attention. As I read it, I began to think about some of the extraordinary relationships I’ve had over the years and these individuals consistently, really do:
1. Take a Hit (think of this as personal accountability – now look around you; how much of it do you see daily?)
2. Step In Without Being Asked (you have to make me feel your vested interest in our relationship, not just tell me!)
3. Answer the Questions That is Not Asked (Candor is a highly valued asset in business relationships)
4. Know When To Dial It Back (what’s your relationship-building style?)
5. Prove They Think of Others (We call this Relationship Currency)
6. Realize When They’ve Acted Poorly (Own it!)
7. Give consistently, receive occasionally (Relationship Currency Deposits and relationship investors vs. takers!)
8. Value the Message by Always Valuing the Messenger (I read this one several times and struggle with it – maybe it’s because I don’t have the sharpest guy in the world who mows my lawn?! :-)
9. Start Small… And Are Happy To Stay Small (This one I really struggled with because I believe in #NeverStopGrowing and I’ve never been accused of being shy!)

Nonetheless, kudos to Jeff Hayden for writing on this topic.
Talking about writing – Our April Newsletter went out last week. It included, five new articles focused on corporate, association, leadership, industry, and individual relationship-centric challenges and opportunities. You may find some of the takeaways and action items particularly useful. If you haven’t already, you may want to subscribe HERE.