With the passing of Small Business Week I have had many opportunities to reflect upon the connection between success and relationships.

Successful businesses are built on the solid foundation of good relations with people. Successful communities and families are also built on strong relationships. Respect is a cornerstone in good human relations.

We can respect people by seeking to understand them. This takes effort, focus, concentration, and putting our own ideas and agendas aside. Understanding someone also involves communicating with them to ensure that you are correctly interpreting what they are saying.

Try this technique at home or in business. Seek only to understand someone’s viewpoint or feelings. You will find that once you have made them feel understood and respected, they will respect you as a great communicator—someone who listens while they speak.

Respect also means accepting people for who they are—their own opinions and differences. Not everyone shares the same perspective. By letting go of the desire to control or influence the views of others, our time is freed up for better things. Always keep in mind that people do the best they can with their current awareness, skills and knowledge. Accept people unconditionally.

Finally, we can respect others by speaking kindly of them. Gossip tears apart office morale, families, and communities. Gossip is negative, and spreads like wildfire. Why doesn’t good news spread that quickly? We must be aware of the damage gossip inflicts upon ourselves and our relationships. By thinking and speaking negatively, we attract negativity to ourselves in return. The best way to avoid gossip is to speak about other people as if they were in the room. Post a reminder for yourself to avoid gossiping about others.

Respecting yourself will be easier once you respect others first. You will enjoy a great sense of self-worth when you seek to understand by listening, accepting others for who they are, and speaking only kind words of them.

You will get respected as a result of giving it out first. You have my promise!

Penny