How Are Your Relationships?

I interviewed Yvonne Allen this morning and as you would expect, our topic was relationships. Not just intimate relationships but working relationships, friend relationships and even relationships with service providers.

It will come as no surprise to you to know that many of our relationships are suffering. While there is a large "man drought" for 25-45 year old women, there is also a lot of confusion with how to act and react. Yvonne refers to this as the "Gender Agenda". We seem to have a lot of confusion out there. Women who are told to be more like men to succeed and men who are told to be more like women to understand them. No wonder there is confusion!!

Yvonne's tips for relationship success include:

• Start with the relationship you have with yourself and make sure it is healthy
• Consider what the other person in the relationship (or you want in the relationship) wants and is looking for
• Focus on the positives of the relationship
• Communicate so that everyone knows exactly where they stand without having to read minds
• Commit to the relationship so that it can grow in depth rather than ending at the first sign of trouble.

When Yvonne was talking I couldn't help but notice that these points are exactly what business needs as well. Think about your team, your suppliers, your direct reports, your boss, your customers, your friends and your family. Would applying Yvonne's tips help any of them?

So how are your relationships?