Investing in Relationships – By Arnie Wohlgemut
Those of us in business have heard the question time and time again… “What’s the ‘Return on Investment’?”
But it’s not just a business term.
Local and upper levels of government build it into proposals and rationale for projects and new programs. The public at large wants to know how their tax dollars are being used – and what the return on our investment really is!
In our private lives, we want to make the best of our investments and put our savings in the highest return bucket. After all – it’s our future we’re preparing for.
ROI is deeply entrenched in our lives.
But a term we rarely hear is ROR, or “Return on Relationships”.
Strong, healthy relationships empower us and give us confidence. Take the relationship between parents and a child… Both the parents and child grow and change within that relationship and there are benefits on both sides.
In a workplace, a poor relationship between management and staff can be devastating. Poor morale, poor performance, high stress, staff turnover – need I go on? Three out of four people report their boss is the most stressful part of their job! Ouch!!!
I recently read that 65% of workers would rather have a new manager than a raise.
Wow – that’s stunning.
Why? Their boss was unable to collaborate and be a team player. That reflects the leader’s ability to build strong work relationships. As a manager, supervisor or CEO you have little chance of improving performance if you do not build strong relationships across the organization. Interestingly enough, this also leads to a better return on investment.