A healthy relationship in a corporate environment is a big deal. It’s one of those fundamental elements that separate successful businesses from struggling ones; fast growing start ups from stagnant ones and highly productive employees from their peers. Yeah! That’s how important it is! You may have come across terms such as “Joint Ventures”, “Mergers”, “Partnerships”, among others. Strong relationships make them come true.

Like other forms of relationship, healthy relationships with colleagues, partners, and clients don’t happen overnight. Deliberate actions are needed to maintain them.

So how can you achieve this?

communicate often

While the holidays are great opportunities to spread messages of goodwill, be aware when someone within your professional network is celebrating an achievement and send that person congratulatory messages. You can also communicate information (new reports or investigations) that your contact will find useful. The trick is to want them to remember you as thoughtful and resourceful so that, given an opportunity, you become their ideal person.

focus on giving

Most of the time we look for new networks for what we can receive. What if we focused more on the ways we can benefit them? Offer unsolicited help where you can and don’t hold back when your help is genuinely requested. Giving provides lasting satisfaction and fulfillment to both the receiver and the giver.

have integrity

Integrity is one of the foundations of a strong business relationship. A potential business partner would want to know if you can be trusted before collaborating with you on a project. In the same way, a potential customer wants to be sure that your products are of high quality and that your attractive advertisements are not misleading. In the workplace, employers expect to trust you with confidential company secrets. Act with integrity at all times in all your relationships, because just like the Enron Corporation (remember the Enron scandal of 2001), many other great companies have collapsed for lack of integrity.

keep an open mind

Most of the people you work with will not share the same beliefs as you. Instead of focusing on areas of conflict, build on the areas where you do agree. To ensure a working relationship with them, you must be tolerant and responsive. A receptive mind appreciates new ideas; encourage feedback and handle ego-crushing criticism in a good way. Furthermore, people are naturally inclined to share ideas with anyone who doesn’t take all the credit alone. Be intentional in recognizing the networks whose ideas contributed to your success.

Strong professional working relationships are worth a lot and take a lot to maintain. As you work to connect with your networks, be sure to look for the ones that you are sure are worth your time and resources.