The Relationship Mistake We Don't Notice Until It's Too Late |
Goodwill needs maintaining. We can't assume that relationships remain strong if we stop investing in them.
Familiarity is not trust. Working closely with someone doesn't mean we've developed a meaningful relationship.
Make friends when you can, not only when you need them.
We know that relationships matter. Yet we consistently behave as though they can wait.
In the workplace, strong relationships can make the difference between a project's success, a secured promotion, or a closed deal. However, in our high-pressure, time-poor world, we tend to focus on what we’re trying to achieve now, doing the hard graft ourselves if need be.
We can address our longer-term goals another day.
But of course, that day soon comes, and we’re back to square one. Failing to invest in our relationships earlier makes the support or advocacy we need now harder to secure. Delaying nonurgent relationship-building activity carries real consequences, just ones we are not aware of until it’s too late.
It’s easy to assume that relationships will always be in place when needed. But trust, just like physical fitness or financial security, is built over time and only becomes apparent when we need it the most.
We focus on our immediate priorities
It’s natural to prioritise what is urgent, visible, and measurable. Particularly when we are held accountable for short-term targets. Nobody wants to explain why they have attended a conference or arranged a coffee meeting when the pressure is on.
Psychologists and behavioural economists describe this as present bias. We........