Focus on Building Relationships
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Growth Collective Resource Hub: March 2025 Edition
Building Relationships
Building relationships is the foundation of trust, collaboration, and long-term success in every aspect of life—business, leadership, and personal growth. Strong connections open doors to opportunities, drive innovation, and create lasting impact. In the workplace, internal relationships improve teamwork and efficiency, while external relationships strengthen reputation and loyalty.
Without them, progress stalls, trust erodes, and opportunities are lost. Whether leading a team, managing clients, or expanding a network, mastering relationship-building increases influence, fosters deeper connections, and ensures long-term success. Investing in relationships isn’t just beneficial—it’s essential.
What is the definition of
building relationships?
Building
- General Meaning: The act of creating, developing, or assembling something over time.
- Key Elements: Growth, progression, structure, effort, and intentionality.
- In Context of Our Theme: It signifies an ongoing process that requires active effort, consistency, and reinforcement rather than something that happens instantly or passively.
Relationships
- General Meaning: A connection, interaction, or bond between individuals, groups, or entities.
- Key Elements: Trust, communication, mutual benefit, collaboration, and engagement.
- In the Context of Our Theme: This includes two types of relationships, internal and external.
“Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.”
– Stephen Covey
Two Key Types of Relationships in the Workplace
Internal Relationships
(Within an Organization)
- Definition: Connections between employees, teams, and departments inside an organization.
- Key Elements: Collaboration, teamwork, workplace culture, shared goals, and communication.
- Importance: Strong internal relationships improve efficiency, morale, and innovation, creating a cohesive and productive work environment.
- Example: A manager working closely with their team to foster engagement and alignment on company objectives.
External Relationships
(Outside the Organization)
- Definition: Connections between an organization and outside stakeholders, such as customers, partners, suppliers, and the broader community.
- Key Elements: Trust, reliability, reputation management, customer service, and networking.
- Importance: Strong external relationships enhance brand credibility, customer loyalty, and business growth.
- Example: A company building long-term trust with clients through consistent, value-driven interactions.
Why is this theme critical?
As we are witnessing more and more in the news, building strong internal and external relationships is crucial for personal and organizational success:
Internal Relationships
- Enhanced Job Satisfaction: Positive workplace relationships significantly improve job satisfaction, with 85% of employees stating that such bonds positively impact their mood and motivation at work.
- Increased Productivity: Teams with strong internal relationships are more engaged, leading to a 21% increase in profitability.
External Relationships
- Business Growth: Cultivating strong relationships with clients and partners can lead to improved collaboration and increased efficiency, ultimately driving business success.
- Community Engagement: Engaging with external stakeholders, such as local communities and organizations, enhances a company’s reputation and opens up new opportunities.
How to Build and Damage Relationships
The below table outlines the best ways to build or damage relationships.
| Best Ways to Build Relationships |
|---|
| 1. Be consistently reliable – Show up, follow through, and be dependable and reliable over time. |
| 2. Listen to understand, not just to reply – Ask thoughtful questions and make others feel heard. |
| 3. Invest in the relationship beyond transactions – Build connections through shared experiences, not just work or favours. |
| 4. Embrace difficult conversations – Address conflicts directly with honesty and respect instead of avoiding them. Be kind, but assertive. |
| 5. Show up in small, meaningful ways – Unexpected check-ins, kind gestures, and remembering details makes a big impact. |
| Surprising Ways to Destroy Relationships |
|---|
| 1. Be available… Until you’re not – Start strong, but disappear when needed most, making people question your reliability. |
| 2. Listen, but don’t act – Nodding along without follow-through makes people feel ignored and unimportant. |
| 3. Only engage when you need something – People quickly notice when they’re just a means to an end. |
| 4. Agree to everything… Then resent it – Saying “yes” when you mean “no” leads to passive-aggressive behaviour and relationship strain. |
| 5. Assume the relationship maintains itself – Neglecting small interactions makes connections fade without warning. |
5 actionable steps to help build strengthen any type of relationship
1 | The 7-38-55 Rule Words account for 7% of communication; tone (38%) and body language (55%) influence relationships more. Focus on how you say things. |
2 | The Rule of Reciprocity Giving first — whether knowledge, support, or time — creates an unspoken obligation for others to reciprocate, strengthening relationships. |
3 | Relationship Bank Accounts Every interaction is a deposit or withdrawal in trust — small, consistent positive actions ensure stronger relationships when you need them. |
4 | The Power of Weak Ties Casual acquaintances (weak ties) are more likely to open career doors than close friends, making networking beyond your circle essential. |
5 | The 5-to-1 Rules for Longevity Strong relationships maintain a ratio of 5 positive interactions for every 1 negative one — balance criticism with encouragement. |
Top Resources We’ve Found
There are lots of resources out there on building relationships. Here are the top 4 must-haves:
Podcast
How’s Work? with Esther Perel
Spotify, Apple Podcasts
Explores the psychology of workplace relationships, conflict resolution, and human connection.
App
UpHabit
iOS/Android
A personal CRM that helps professionals organize, nurture, and maintain meaningful business relationships with reminders and tracking features.
Video
The School of Greatness with Lewis Howes
YouTube
Features expert interviews on networking, leadership, and emotional intelligence.
Book
Digital Body Language by Erica Dhawan
Amazon, Goodreads
Explores how to build trust and connection in the digital world, improving communication in virtual and remote environments.
📢 Free Webinar (Learn + Give Back!)
Building Relationships
📅 Friday, March 28, 2025
⏰ 12:30 – 1:00 PM EST
This session is packed with practical takeaways from a top expert. For every registration, PMC increases its charitable contribution to Dress for Success. So, while you’re growing, you’re also helping others do the same.