Business Success Requires Nurtured Relationships

I'm amazed constantly at what a small world we live in these days. I know I shouldn't be. Thanks to our internet-enabled hyper-networked existence, life is more connected than ever. Therefore, the chances of repeatedly encountering people you have worked with, met online or offline, or people-that-know-people-that- you-know during your career are huge.

The 'brand me' that you shape over the years from every chance encounter to every deep relationship can powerfully determine success in business, particularly when it comes to attracting the best customers and people to develop your firm.

It was always true in the age of linear corporate careers that you should be nice to people on the way up, as you might meet them on the way down. However, as life becomes a succession of projects things have become much more circular so need to be more than nice – you need to nurture relationships.

Thankfully, successful modern organisations are increasingly flat and collaborative with teamwork coming to the fore. Forward-thinking companies dispensing with divisive trappings of pointless hierarchy -  staff cubes and glass executive corner offices, for instance.

With no where to hide and with false barriers removed, success in this environment requires the realisation that it takes all sorts to make a world, and not everyone is like you or shares your views. That doesn't make them any less important. In fact, I could argue it might make them more worthwhile getting to know. But no matter how hard we try, in the world of work we make enemies eventually.

This can be because of something we've actually done, or more often than not for vicarious reasons to do with another individual's insecurity. If you've done something to genuinely offend someone however, you should ensure you put things right and as soon as possible. It may be that the other party doesn't want to know and would prefer to sullenly stick pins in a wax doll of you for an extended period. If that's the case so be it. Back off and mark it down to experience in the sure knowledge that time is a great healer.

One way to avoid creating adversaries is to make sure you and those you know can tell the difference between 'business' and personal' issues. Confusion of these concepts has wrecked many an individual's prospects and a business's chances of success. This is never truer than in the difficult situations I mentioned earlier. One of the most pressured times that anyone will endure in building a business, is when they have to let someone go. Hiring and firing is the basic stuff of managing business, but rarely is it, nor does it have to be, personal.

If you are firing someone – rather than making them redundant – it's usually because it's emerged their skill set does not match a particular position. It's not because they have done something unacceptable and they may ultimately go on to thrive in another environment. It's important in such a situation that you consciously and explicitly separate the individual from the job, and help give them the confidence that it will be the case.

If you are on the receiving end of an axe when a contract isn't working out or something else unpleasant, put yourself in the other person's shoes. See the situation through their eyes. It can quickly put things into perspective. You may still not like it, but at least you can both respect and learn from it.

As an entrepreneur, being ready to reveal your vulnerability is a powerful leadership trait – not a sign of weakness, more a sign of inner strength and confidence. It's also a key characteristic of the sort of person that people trust and want to work with – those most valuable of commodities in creating value in a fast-moving businesses.

In my time, I've seen myself and many a previously confident and competent colleague, struggle temporarily as personal challenges get in the way of professional performance. Even the most accomplished people are not just the person who turns up to work. Neither are they robots. They are in fact flesh and blood, and they take on too much. They make mistakes, exercise poor judgement or just let things get out of hand.

We all make mistakes, and for most of us that's the best way to learn. What matters most is that when something happens we own up to it, seek help to minimise any damage and take another opportunity to learn. Similarly, if you don't have an answer in a situation you should explain why. Perhaps suggest an alternative instead of obfuscating, and never attempt to protect yourself by shifting the blame. Honesty will most likely win you respect and increase the quality of the bonds with people that surround you. Mendacity will be sure to achieve the opposite.

Nurturing your relationships is not a nice-to-do, but a must-do. It's something you should work on every day. After all, we have the means to communicate at our fingertips and around the clock. We ignore that possibility at our peril.