Common Myths About Relationship Management
Effective Assumptions About Managing Strategic Relationships
Myth #1
The closing of the deal is the start of the relationship.
Assumption #1
A good working relationship can exist even if we view ourselves as competitors or adversaries and do not approve of each other's behavior, or values.
Myth #2
Either you are interested in building a good deal or you are interested in building a good working relationship.
Assumption #2
The better the working relationship, the better able I am to meet my own interests.
Myth #3
I don't need to focus on the relationship; that is someone else's job.
Assumption #3
The quality of the working relationship is important no matter how brief I expect it to be.
Myth #4
Relationships matter only in the long-term.
Assumption #4
Relationship issues can and should be dealt with separately from substantive issues.
Myth #5
Relationship management is simply business development (golf, lunch, holiday cards).
Assumption #5
Relationship issues should be explicitly discussed and can be dealt with rationally and collaboratively.
Myth #6
Either you are a "people person" and you have these soft skills, or you are not.
Assumption #6
The ability to build and manage working relationships depends on a few basic elements and uses "hard" analytic and "soft" interpersonal skills.
Myth #7
There is only one right way to manage a relationship.
Assumption #7
I can take actions to improve the quality of my working relationships and while it takes two or more parties to have a relationship, it only takes one side to change the quality of it.