In order to do the extraordinary, we have to work with other people. No matter how great a single person’s efforts, it’s not going to be enough on its own. That’s why the third pillar of best-self management, cultivating relational mastery, is essential in any business.

Today, we’re diving into just what cultivating relational mastery is. We discuss its many benefits and how it can’t help but lead to great success within an organization. Often, cultivating relational skill is overlooked. However, we have found that the benefits of intentionally teaching and practicing them is essential to separating our organization apart. What’s great is that any organization can create and practice this.

Often this means having difficult conversations. While they may be uncomfortable at the time, open and honest communication is key to keeping emotions from festering. This is how a toxic culture is prevented. We discuss how to use clearing conversations to keep workplace dynamics running smoothly.

We’ve seen first hand how getting better at relationships has increased our ability to be positive influencers. As such, it’s a powerful way to get more of what we want out of our work. Education is a crucial way to achieve this mastery. By learning new skills and practices and an understanding of how we all operate, relational mastery can be honed. That’s why we share several practical relational practices you can start using right away.

How can you cultivate more relational mastery in your organization? Let’s talk about it in the comments on the episode page!

In this episode

• How relational friction keeps teams and companies from moving forward (drama, politics, resentment, blame) 
• Why cultivating relational mastery is a never-ending endeavor
• How getting better at relationships will increase your ability to influence
• The Positivity Ratio and how you can engineer it into your culture
• Having difficult conversations to prevent a toxic culture from forming

• Using a clearing conversation to speak directly when there is conflict
• Why seeking feedback will lead to more positive relationships
• The important distinction between expectations and agreements
• The importance and challenges of becoming better listeners

Quotes

“It’s not enough to have people committed to being their best as individuals inside of some shared context. We don’t exist in a vacuum and nothing great gets done alone.” [1:44]

“The truth is, it’s hard. There’s no magic pill. Even when you get good at it, it still takes time. There’s still ongoing investments required.” [5:46]

“Having the positivity-ratio in the right balance inside of your company allows you to have the difficult conversations with less damage to the relationships.” [12:47]

“If you can create a culture where each connection of that network is strengthened, you’re creating an incredible resiliency inside the company.” [27:07]

“There’s the idea of listening to understand instead of listening to respond. I think we can all do so much at aspiring to a higher level of listening.” [37:07]

Links

Emotional Intelligence

Crucial Conversations

Crucial Accountability

Radical Candor

An Everyone Culture

The Conscious Leadership Group

Best-Self Academy

Listen to Best-Self Management Here

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