Relationship Building: Developing and maintaining win/win
relationships and partnerships.
Behaviours:

• Outline what you plan to contribute toward achieving your department's business plan goals.
  • Study your department's business plan.
  • Learn about your client's work-related interests, activities and needs.  Depending on who the clients are, you may be able to find annual reports, professional association reports, or client surveys in your office.  Then, talk to clients about how you can best meet those needs.
  • Develop a plan, discuss it with your supervisor and implement it.
  • Schedule regular meetings to review progress.
• Ask team members for feedback on your contribution to your work group.  How can you be a more positive contributor?
• Look at your commitments for the week.  Set a goal to follow through on all of them.  Make it a habit to do what you say you will do in the time frame you say you will do it.
• Keep a file of contacts, so you will know whom to call with your questions.
• Request feedback on your style from a variety of sources - your manager, colleagues, clients, and people you supervise.

• Practice simple courtesies, for example, set a goal to say "Good Morning" to three people you normally wouldn't.
• To get to know others outside of the office:
  • Ask them about their interests.
  • Plan an occasional social event with co-workers or clients, such as a walk, coffee break, lunch or a picnic.
• Target someone in the office that you would like to know better.  Make a point to practice small talk with them.
  • Listen to what they say and notice the hints they give about their interests.
  • Follow the current news for your own topics to use as "small talk".

• Write these steps down and use them the next time you have a confrontation with someone.
  • Focus on people's good qualities rather than on their deficiencies.
  • Confront the issue rather than the person.
  • Ask open-ended questions that encourage others to give their points of view.
  • Practice effective listening.
  • Look for areas of common agreement and work from there to achieve a positive outcome.
  • Foster an environment of openness and trust.
  • Allow people to save face.

• Broaden your circle of acquaintances.  Today, introduce yourself to someone you have wanted to meet but were too busy or shy to talk to.
• Pick someone you consider an acquaintance and make a point to learn more about that person's interests.  Ahead of time, think of some questions you could ask them.
• Keep a file of information on your contacts, and use it to keep in touch.
• Join business and/or professional association(s).

• Share your contacts and your network with employees.
• Invite representatives from different work groups or organizations to your staff meetings and ask them to make a presentation about their services, issues, etc., then discuss ways your organization can work with theirs.

• Encourage interaction with people outside the work unit.
• Encourage employees to get involved with professional associations.

• Approach problems from the perspective of what your unit can contribute to a positive outcome.