How often do you think about the relationships within your business? The daily interactions you have with your team, your customers, or the people you work closely with? Investing in and strengthening these relationships is vital to creating a more efficient environment and is almost always crucial to growing your business.
Just like in our personal lives, there is a lot we can do to strengthen these relationships. Here are six things relationships can teach founders about growing a stronger business.
Just Like All Relationships, Communication Is Key
Starting with the obvious one first: To create a strong, lasting relationship, you need to be able to communicate well. This theory goes for all relationships, but for business owners, it can be particularly vital for growth.
Miscommunication within your company can lead to lost sales, broken relations with partners, lowered productivity, and everything in between. And even though we all know its importance, communication can be one of the hardest things to improve.
Strengthening your company’s communication also goes beyond verbal interactions. With different project processes, there may be ways to communicate better. How does your team stay updated on each other’s task list? How can you confirm your team is effectively finishing projects accurately and on time? Strengthening your process communication can also lead to better results within your company.
So, it is essential to be open and honest with yourself and your team about any issues relating to communication that might exist. By being vulnerable and open to these things, you can stop any misunderstandings before they happen and prevent any unhealthy communication habits from forming.
We All Feel Appreciation Differently
Business owners interact with many different types of people and personalities, and they all experience emotions uniquely. Whether with an employee, a customer, or even a vendor, showing gratitude and appreciation in a way that resonates most is vital to creating long-lasting business relationships. Some companies, like Crated with love, which ships date night boxes, are finding unique ways to integrate this concept into their day-to-day interactions.
CEO and founder Tyler Turk says the 5 Love Languages play a big role in deciding how to interact with individuals. “We all feel appreciation a little differently,” Turk states. “Some of us need verbal confirmation, while others value quality time. Running a business that primarily focuses on strengthening romantic relationships, I have learned how crucial affirmation can be to our customers, and to people I interact with daily. I am always trying to learn how to share my gratitude in ways that will resonate most with employees and vendors. Creating strong business relationships has always been important to our growth as a company.”
Do not assume everyone speaks your same “language” when it comes to appreciation. The people you interact with in business are individuals with individual personalities. Instead, find ways to adjust your approach to fit the people with whom you communicate.
Your Leadership Style Can (And Should) Change
In your head, think about how you act around certain groups of people in your life. Your family. Your friends. Customer service of the telephone company that puts you on hold for 45 minutes. We would venture to say that your personality shifts slightly depending on with whom you interact. Sure, there may be some core personality traits you hold, but different circumstances require different forms of yourself.
This can be true in your company as well. Whether you are communicating with employees, contractors, or vendors, you might see your personality shift slightly, depending on whom you are talking with. And that can be a good thing.
Just like with appreciation, each one of us will gravitate towards a different leadership style. Some people feel more comfortable with a direct, assertive, and analytical approach. Others, however, will require a softer, more relationship-driven style of leadership.
As the business owner, this will require you to be honest and upfront with yourself. Is your leadership style cohesive to your team? If not, does that mean you need to adjust, or does it mean that you need to find team members that are more aligned with your style?
An excellent tool to use is CliftonStrengths by Gallup. With this test, you can see how your personality traits align with your team, which can be a great way for you as a leader to adjust your approach. And as the leader, it is your responsibility to coax the best out of those that help your business run.
Projection Is Real, and Empathy Is Vital
As business owners, it can be easy to focus solely on what we feel and what we want. After all, our businesses feel like an extension of ourselves. The issue, however, occurs when we “project” these feelings onto the people we interact with. Projection, in psychological terms, is the process of displacing (or projecting) your feelings onto another person. As an example, if you, as a leader, are fearful of making a mistake, projection may occur if you show a strong lack of trust or confidence in your team, thinking they will be prone to making errors.
It can sometimes be challenging to separate our feelings and emotions about our companies from those on our team. However, by doing so, you will be able to see strengths and weaknesses clearer and view your company more healthily.
It is also important to consider how empathy plays a role within your organization. If you are too focused on your feelings about your company, you may be missing out on how your customers or team members feel, which can hide flaws or areas of improvement.
Going back to communication, it is crucial to create an environment that promotes understanding, empathy, and support. By doing this, you can create a more emotionally intelligent process for growing your business.
Joy Is a Powerful Motivator
Yes, work is work, and productivity is crucial, but never underestimate the power of joy within your company. On a human level, we all seek happiness and comfort. And, since so much of our lives are spent at work, creating an environment conducive to that need can help make your team more loyal and productive.
Does your team look forward to working with you? Do they find value beyond a paystub? If the answer is no, how can you create that type of experience for them?
Yes, going out of your way to building in more “culture-enhancing” programs may take a little more effort and resources, but if it makes your team more efficient and productive, doesn’t that make it worth it? Whether it is a surprise, thank you gift every once in a while, or special team-building activities every Friday after work, look for ways to add more joy into your team’s environment.
Do Not Forget Your Family
A lot of entrepreneurs let their businesses take over their lives. Day in and day out, it is all about what’s going on in the business, what’s next, what’s broken, and what if scenarios. It is no surprise this stress carries over into our home life.
Make sure to take a step back every once in a while, and remind yourself how much happiness your family brings you. Make it a point to prioritize your family and the relationships you all share with each other.
Remember, it’s all about balance. You can have a thriving relationship and business.
Do Not Forget About Self-Care
A relationship we often overlook as business owners is the one we have with ourselves. Running a business can be one of the most stressful things we can do, so it is important to make sure we take time to keep our mental health strong.
Think about it this way: If we work ourselves to the bone, day in and day out, that pressure and stress may result in 60% productivity or about 30 productive hours in a 50-hour workweek.
Instead, imagine you only work 40 hours a week, saving the last 10 for projects or activities that interest you personally. What if that self-care bumped your productivity level to 90%? That would result in 36 hours of productive work. In this scenario, you would get MORE done by working less and focusing some time on yourself.
Of course, it is important to note that this is all subjective and can change from person to person. However, the theory remains the same. By not placing importance on your wellbeing and mental health, you can damage your physical health and be less productive. So, take some time for you! Just because we own a business, it does not mean the business has to own us.
Conclusion
Building strong relationships is key to any business, no matter the size. While you grow your company, look for ways to strengthen the relationships around you. By investing in these interactions with customers, employees, partners, contractors, and yourself, you can create a stronger, more self-sufficient business.
