If I had to choose the most important aspect of life, I would say hands-down, it is all about developing and building relationships. Relationships are the catalyst for so many events we experience in life. We are born into a world of people. We grow up surrounded by family and friends. We interact and engage with others on a daily basis.
We’ve learned about the golden rule since day one:
“Treat others the way you want to be treated.”
Yes, it’s a great rule of thumb to be a good, genuine person. But it’s also important to realize that people have different needs. They require different amounts of attention and have various personalities that play into how you should communicate with them.
What is the number one skill you’ll see required on every job application? Strong communication skills. You’d think including this is common sense, but as I’ve entered the working world, I’ve realized that not everyone can be a true “people-person” (myself included at times).
I’m not a master of relationships and I struggle in my communication methods and delivery on a daily basis. Still, there are a few things I’ve learned about people in my 23 years of interaction, and I wanted to share them:
People are sensitive.
Emotions come into play in every situation and they oftentimes determine a decision. Many people don’t admit their sensitivities, let alone recognize them. Because of this…
People are easily offended.
Trying to live a normal day-to-day is difficult when you constantly have to watch what you say and do. Communication is a two-way street and emotions cause people to perceive messages in different ways. Be careful when choosing your words, because you never know how that message will resonate with someone once it’s delivered – especially in the digital world we live in. Keep in mind, once it’s said…it’s done.
People will complain in every situation.
No matter where you’re at in life, there will always be people around you that complain – about menial tasks…their significant other…their coworkers…you name it. I don’t ever expect to find myself in a situation when everyone is content all the time. Why?
Because it’s a part of our nature. We whine about work because it’s work, our lack of time even when we procrastinate, and our relationships even when we fail to devote enough energy into building them. In many cases, we complain about problems we create.
You can’t please everyone, so stop overexerting yourself.
As hard as you try to make everyone happy, you’ll realize you’re eventually out of luck. There is simply not enough time in the day, money in the world or skillset one could possess that could result in happiness of everyone around them. The reason why revolves around everything you just read: people are sensitive, easily offended and will always find something to complain about. While this may be the case, there is one more characteristic people possess that trumps all.
People are kind.
At the end of almost every day, I come to recognize how kind people truly are. While we might be over-sensitive, offended by miniscule matters and complain about problems we create, we still care. Generosity can be contagious and when we offer our talents to help others, it extends a long way.
Relationships are the most important aspect of life and strong communication is a must-have ingredient. Learn how to interact in an authentic way, how to ask questions that are meaningful. Most importantly, learn how to understand the people surrounding you on a deeper level. Relationships aren’t meant to reach a peak or plateau; they’re meant to grow.
