“We tend to build an allegiance either to relationships or to issues. We become primarily concerned about other people, their feelings, and the relationship, or we become focussed on rules, quotas, agendas, tasks and results”—The Word for today
I immediately liked this view but then considering whether it fits the business environment and the need to deliver results, I questioned it. Can you not deliver results without maintaining relationships with those who would deliver them? Can you deliver good results if you are primarily concerned about the relationships and not those results, afterall that is the primary reason for employing the people (human resource)? Surely the reason for maintaining relationships is for the results. For most people, the knowledge that they are valued for the results they deliver would be enough for them to give their best. I agree that in a learning environment and in a nurturing relationship, the relationship however is the overiding factor. The results are not as urgent and a good relationship would build the individual up to deliver results in the medium term. So, I guess it depends…