Valentine’s Day week is a great week to talk about relationships. As you know, relationships are very important in your personal life. You need your loved ones for support and guidance as you grow. Relationships are also vital to business. They can make or break a company, a partnership, or a career. Relationships allow breathing room and grace. In the case of a mistake, a relationship can completely change the reaction from the other party.

Relationships with employees can boost employee morale and build a sense of dedication amongst your staff. I believe it is really important for leaders to build relationships with everyone that works for them. This fosters dedication, and makes the leader seem more trustworthy to their employees. When employees feel like they have a personal relationship with their superior, they are more willing to work through conflict rather than just leave. Building relationships with your employees establishes a mutual trust that can be beneficial for you in several challenging situations.

If you work in an industry that has clientele or partners, relationships with those individuals are also incredibly important. Relationships with corporate partners can help make difficult decisions easier. Additionally, these relationships build trust that can lead to further cooperation or funding from these other companies. In the case of clientele, relationships can keep those clients from looking to your competition for better prices or cheaper delivery of product. The relationships you have with your clients can be incredibly lucrative, especially when considering referral work. Even if you feel you have nothing to gain from maintaining strong relationships with your clients and partners, these people are on your team and someday you might need something from them. It's good practice to maintain positive relationships with everyone with whom you work.

- Bria

Positive relationships with your colleagues, coworkers, and partners can help advance your career. Business is all about connections and relationships. The earlier you learn to capitalize on these relationships the better. Building and maintaining strong, positive relationships with those with which you work will strongly benefit you in all future endeavors.