Relationship Building
Building relationships can be a challenging prospect for anyone. Our society today is full of diversity and complex differences that make relationship development a delicate dance. Finding the right communication styles, establishing trust, and taking a personal interest in others are positive steps in building both personal and professional relationships. Without relationship building skills, our nation never would have developed into the advanced and technologically developed country that it is. Many people, departments, organizations, and government entities work together every day to keep our lives moving and relatively comfortable. When those relationships break down, everyone struggles.
Relationship Building in Leadership
Relationship building skills are essential in leadership. Because most modern leadership theories prescribe some process for building and managing relationships with followers, it is safe to say that it is required for positive outcomes and experiences. Many people have had negative experiences with leadership at one job or another, and it is not uncommon to hear discouraging comments and opinions about leadership as a concept in the business world. I have been guilty of accusing upper management of being “out of touch” or “unrealistic” when it comes to policy changes that have rocked the boat. In order to overcome these negative outlooks, leaders must be able to connect with their followers and show them that they are valued, heard, and respected.
Artifact
Building relationships has been especially challenging for me in virtual project teams for my online classes at ASU. I have had a mixture of successful and less successful teams in the process of working towards my degree, and I think that can be traced back to several factors, including member participation and skill levels. However, I believe that building relationships amongst team members early on has been the most effective predictor of success. My artifact was an optional extra credit assignment for my OGL 357 (Assessment in Organizations) project team to get to know one another before any official assignments were due. Our instructor had us answer questions that I will be using in the future to get to know my team members better and use as a foundation for building relationships. Our submission was meant to be informal but professional. I created a discussion board for our team through canvas and compiled our submission, which you can see here as my artifact for building relationships:
Building relationships can be a challenging prospect for anyone. Our society today is full of diversity and complex differences that make relationship development a delicate dance. Finding the right communication styles, establishing trust, and taking a personal interest in others are positive steps in building both personal and professional relationships. Without relationship building skills, our nation never would have developed into the advanced and technologically developed country that it is. Many people, departments, organizations, and government entities work together every day to keep our lives moving and relatively comfortable. When those relationships break down, everyone struggles.
Relationship Building in Leadership
Relationship building skills are essential in leadership. Because most modern leadership theories prescribe some process for building and managing relationships with followers, it is safe to say that it is required for positive outcomes and experiences. Many people have had negative experiences with leadership at one job or another, and it is not uncommon to hear discouraging comments and opinions about leadership as a concept in the business world. I have been guilty of accusing upper management of being “out of touch” or “unrealistic” when it comes to policy changes that have rocked the boat. In order to overcome these negative outlooks, leaders must be able to connect with their followers and show them that they are valued, heard, and respected.
Artifact
Building relationships has been especially challenging for me in virtual project teams for my online classes at ASU. I have had a mixture of successful and less successful teams in the process of working towards my degree, and I think that can be traced back to several factors, including member participation and skill levels. However, I believe that building relationships amongst team members early on has been the most effective predictor of success. My artifact was an optional extra credit assignment for my OGL 357 (Assessment in Organizations) project team to get to know one another before any official assignments were due. Our instructor had us answer questions that I will be using in the future to get to know my team members better and use as a foundation for building relationships. Our submission was meant to be informal but professional. I created a discussion board for our team through canvas and compiled our submission, which you can see here as my artifact for building relationships:
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.
Reflection
Building Relationships in Organizational Leadership
As I previously established, I am a big believer in developing both individual and team relationships as an integral part of organizational leadership. Organizations are large entities that require leaders to cultivate many relationships with their superiors, peers, and followers. While some relationships' dynamics may shift, the principles behind establishing trust, facilitating communication, and gaining respect are universal. Organizations recognize the importance of accessible leaders who know how to connect with others. In my Organizational Leadership program, it has been emphasized repeatedly that leaders cannot be successful without building relationships with their followers first.
Personal Growth & Development
Being able to develop a toolbox for building relationships and establishing trust among my followers has been impactful on the way that I lead. As a barista trainer, I encounter many different personalities and learning styles that I need to adjust to. I have found a formula for disarming new partners of their nervousness and uncertainty with banter, asking personal questions, personal information about myself, keeping the mood light with jokes, and by following up at the end of every training shift to see how they view they progress and development. I have learned the value in viewing each member of my team as an individual and cultivating personal relationships with every one of them.
Building Relationships in Organizational Leadership
As I previously established, I am a big believer in developing both individual and team relationships as an integral part of organizational leadership. Organizations are large entities that require leaders to cultivate many relationships with their superiors, peers, and followers. While some relationships' dynamics may shift, the principles behind establishing trust, facilitating communication, and gaining respect are universal. Organizations recognize the importance of accessible leaders who know how to connect with others. In my Organizational Leadership program, it has been emphasized repeatedly that leaders cannot be successful without building relationships with their followers first.
Personal Growth & Development
Being able to develop a toolbox for building relationships and establishing trust among my followers has been impactful on the way that I lead. As a barista trainer, I encounter many different personalities and learning styles that I need to adjust to. I have found a formula for disarming new partners of their nervousness and uncertainty with banter, asking personal questions, personal information about myself, keeping the mood light with jokes, and by following up at the end of every training shift to see how they view they progress and development. I have learned the value in viewing each member of my team as an individual and cultivating personal relationships with every one of them.
