As we continue our book review of John Maxwell’s book, ‘ Today Matters’, let’s turn our attention to another daily practice, ‘Investing in Your Relationships’.
John Maxwell asks his readers to think about their most important experiences in life. Were they shared with others, or were they experienced alone? To experience greater fulfillment and success in life, initiating and investing in solid relationships is vital.
From a success standpoint: Natural talent and good education, don’t guarantee success. Sensitivity to understand what other people want and the willingness to give it to them is vital. No one wins fame, recognition or success because they think it is deserved. Someone else needs to think so too. At the end of the day the likeable person wins.
From the employer’s standpoint: People are any organization’s most appreciable asset. An organization succeeds because of its people. Make sure you have the right people in your organization.
Food for thought: When was the last time you saw a negative, cynical or suspicious person enjoying life? If you like people you’ll enjoy life more. More importantly, you’ll enjoy more success in life if people like you.
If building good business and personal relationships is an area you would like to grow in, here are the steps that John Maxwell recommends:
Determine to become an initiator and to make an investment in your relationships with others.
Place a high value on people – If you don’t care about people, you will not make good relationships a priority in your life. You can’t make other people feel important in your presence if you secretly feel that they are not valuable.
Expect the best from everyone – Assume people’s motives are good unless they prove them to be otherwise. Value them by their best moments and give them your friendship, rather than asking for theirs. That will be their decision.
Learn to understand people – If you desire to improve your understanding of people and have positive relationships, consider the following truths about people:
- People are insecure, give them confidence
- People want to feel special, sincerely compliment them
- People desire a better tomorrow, show them hope
- People need to be understood, listen to them
- People are selfish, speak to their needs first
- People get emotionally low, encourage them
- People want to be associated with success, help them win
As you lay the groundwork for good relationships remember to:
– Accept people’s shortcomings and don’t take them personally
– Help people succeed
– Make a conscious effort to deposit goodwill in your relationships with others
– Put others first
– Consistently invest in your most valuable relationships
At Front Line Systems we realize the value of positive and mutually beneficial business relationships. Building committed long-term business relationships, and thinking a lot further than the initial sale is one of our core values.
We believe that the software and services we provide you will help you maintain a positive and profitable relationship within your organization and enhance your business relationships with your prospects, customers and vendors.
More Resources
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Today Matters: 12 Daily Practices to Guarantee Tomorrow’s Success by John Maxwell
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