Creating Mutually Successful Business Relationships
The Two Most Important Questions To Ask Your Tribe
Investing in the culture of your business is as important as the financials, marketing, and operations. By communicating to your clients and employees that you are “with” them, you encourage productivity, vision, and loyalty.
Two powerful questions to ask your team in order to optimize, expand, and encourage your business relationships are:
1. “What do you need to be successful?”
We ask this question in order to know the needs of our people and set a standard for freedom in communication. By opening up positive channels of exchange, you build trust and relay authentic relationships. The old standard of a condescending boss has been replaced by extreme cultural aversion to that type of scenario. Millennial culture has “bucked” the vintage system as flexibility, relationship, and social issues have become the new norm. Invest in people, find out what they need, and equip them to be successful.
2. “What does success look like for you?”
Find out the current vision the people have around you. In order to manage expectations and communicate impeccably, information needs to be gathered. The best way to find out is to simply ask. In my experience, humans jump at the chance to let their boss or partner know where they see themselves heading. This is a great way to guide and direct relationships in which you are in a mentor or leadership position.
Encourage your team to have a vision for success through goal planning, role modeling, and rewards.
- Shared goals are a solid way to affirm and grow business relationships.
- Role modeling allows you to set an example of big thinking, a “team” mentality, and positive relationships.
- Knowing what success looks like for your tribe will allow you to reward them in ways that are valuable to them. While one person may be financially motivated, another may long for public recognition.