Business Relationship Success: 4 Habits to Master

These are certainly not complex, but for most people "life gets in the way," excuses are made, and somehow these no-brainers take a back seat to daily distractions.  During my daily listening to and reading motivational info from experts in business (an activity I highly recommend for everyone), I was reminded from Dan Sullivan of 4 simple habits when dealing with others in business (and life) that foster more success.  A blatant disregard for these 4 destroys trust, loses respect, and turns off previously raving fans. Most people agree these make sense and are not difficult, but they aren't doing them consistently.  For those that do, success is theirs.

1. Be On Time.  It shows courtesy to others to be on time, or even early.  Sometimes there are things out of our control, but 99.9999% of the time, we have control over being on time. Barring maybe one event each year, the rest go into the "excuses" category.  If you're like me and grew up in a Just-In-Time household, this is a tricky habit to cultivate...but it is worth the effort!  Be on time, be early, or accept that you are negatively impacting your success.

2. Do What You Say. When you don't, you've essentially broken a promise. Think about it; when someone tells you they will follow-up with a phone call or email and you don't hear from them, you lose faith in their intention, effectiveness, or credibility.  Make it happen! Use a system that reminds you if needed, and make real effort to keep your promises.  If you truly cannot, let the other person know what's going on; make a new promise, and keep it.

3. Finish What You Start.  This shows integrity and builds trust.  It also wins you raving fans.  Everyone loves a finisher, especially when it takes grit.  There are rare occasions when finishing is the wrong choice. Sometimes a path needs to be altered, but hardly ever abandoned entirely. Finishing what you started goes hand in hand with doing what you said...

4. Say "Please" and "Thank You."  When you do, people appreciate you.  When you don't, people likely feel that you are rude.  If you sometimes "just forget," find ways to remember.  Forgetting others = selfishness. One slip may be forgiven via an apology, but over time you may be thought of as egotistical, arrogant, entitled, or far worse. 

I truly appreciate being reminded of these critical habits in dealing with others, especially as I am planning for next year's success.  While a part of me hates to admit it, because I do well with these the majority of the time, some things have fallen through the cracks over this past year.  Fortunately, I can admit, and I can fix it. I am inspired to improve my performance and therefore I am including some fail-safes in the coming year's plan.

If you too need to boost your results in these areas, accept the challenge now!  No more excuses.  Put a plan in place to stay focused and accountable to these 4 and experience the successes they bring.  (Not sure how to do it? Check out the ESI Goal Achieving System and add these 4 to your weekly habit tracker.)

Here's to your success!
Heather A. Legge