5 Steps to building stronger interpersonal relationships

Us, humans are made to be social beings, to interact with one another in a community. Can you imagine living a life in solitude? Personally, I can't. I enjoy meeting new people, making new friends, interacting with people. I love connecting with people, to share ideas and to motivate people.

If you have watched “Castaway” before, you would have known that Chuck Noland created a “friend” out from a volleyball to have “someone” to talk to. Perhaps this short clip might jolt your memory.

I'm sure many of us have talked to inanimate objects when we are feeling down and alone. But, this just shows that humans need to interact with one another, don't we?

Well, since we need to build good relations with others, what we first need to do is to have a good understanding of how human relations work. And, today, I'll be sharing with you some pointers..

1) Empathise with Others – Empathy is all about understanding other's pains, problems or even frustrations. empathy is also about placing yourself in another person's shoes to understand that person's situation. All these would allow you to see things in a different angle, an angle which you may not see if you didn't have empathy. After understanding another person's problems, you may then extend a helping hand, which will also in return boost your sense of gratitude. Believe me, when you give, you get much more in return. What goes around comes around.

2) Do others favours – Favours are things you do for others without asking anything in return. There are many examples in which you could gift a gift of favour but for me, I share my knowledge on investing and generating passive income through stocks and options. I hope that you are able to see that if you could knowledge or help someone else in whatever way you can, you are already in effect more successful, as you will be able to strengthen your knowledge in your field. In addition, when you help someone else, you are not just doing the person a favour, you are actually encouraging this practice. Remember, an eye for an eye and the world goes blind. Do what you can to help others, so that the person whom you've helped can also pay it forward.

3) Speak positively – Try to recall a friend or a co-worker you know. Does that person spread and emit positive vibes? You will find that positive people generally avoid negative thoughts, and are able to reframe their thoughts. I'd give you an example here. Thomas Edison didn't invent the light bulb on his first try. In fact, he failed thousands of times before he finally invented the light bulb. Did he speak negatively about his failures? No! In fact, he discovered thousands of ways on how not to make the light bulb. You will also find that positive people stay away from gossips and rumours and use their time more productively in helping others or making the world a better place. When you speak positive to other people, you are also empowering them and lifting them up. When you do this, you are inspiring others and building trust with others. The outcome? A happier world, and a happier you.

4) Make People feel Important – When you give people their “superstar” time and put the spotlight on them, let people share about their lives and what is important to them, you find that you get a warm fuzzy feeling. In return, people will respect you for listening and making them feel important. Moreover, people will also tend to be more curious about you and then the other person would reciprocate by putting the spotlight on you. Thus, when we make people feel important, we are also letting that person be seen, heard and feel special. You will find that this is an enjoyable thing to do.

5) Listen – This has got to be the most important if you want to build successful relationships with others. Actively listening to others will enable you to gain deeper understanding of people and the corresponding circumstances or situations. In order to do this, you will need to master the art of listening because this is the fundamentals of communication which then allows you to build strong relationships. I am a good listener, you might say. However, I find that people are glued to their phones nowadays. Take a look around when you are out at the mall, or even on the streets. Chances are that majority of the people you see are on their phones. Even dating couples are physically together, but minds apart. I urge you to put away your mobile devices when you are with people, because it disrupts your ability to develop your listening skills. I challenge you today to actively listen, build and engage in deeper and meaningful conversations and to basically understand other's needs. Your end goal is to ask yourself, how are you able to help this person better his or her life?

Do feel free to share this with someone whom you could possibly help. 🙂

To Your Success,

Shawn Tham

Founder & Chief Motivation Officer

101SuccessDrivers.com

Photo credits: www.forbes.com

Facebook Comments