Relationship Management Skills for Work/Life Balance, Part 1: Family and Friends

Our family and friends have a great deal of influence when it comes to our time, attention, energy, and our schedule.

Personal relationships have a different dynamic than work relationships.

In work relationships, the common goals are much clearer because you are working for a business or organization with specific objectives.

Personal relationships often don’t have clear cut goals and objectives.

For many personal relationships, both parties are on auto-pilot — not much is given to deliberate relationship management. It may very well be reactionary in nature.

Our family relationships involve a much stronger emotional aspect than work relationships. In particular, the emotion of love.

Some of our family relationships are not of our choosing. You didn’t choose who your parents are or who your siblings are. And, while you made a choice to have children, you didn’t choose which combination of personality traits they have.

You did choose who your significant other or spouse is but there’s no way to completely understand his/her unique history, the impact of their life experience, and perspective on the world.

We can make some safe assumptions about our family and friends. They have needs and desires and they want them met.

In part, they want their needs and desires met by you.

They want to feel loved, cared for, valued, and appreciated.

When those needs are met regularly, the relationship is positive. Conflict is more easily resolved. Less time wasted on negative emotions. More time is available for the important things — — for the relationship to be fulfilling to both people.

Stay tuned. Tomorrow I will delve into several practices that improve personal relationships.

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