October 10, 2011
3 Ways to Maintain A Healthy Relationship While Building Your Business
1. Manage expectations: Unmet expectations are the root of all disappointment, irritation, frustration, anger, and dissension in relationships. So when someone you care about is saying they do not believe you care about them and that you only care about business or money; or if they’re berating you for always checking your phone or never getting anywhere on time, what they are really saying is: “I had an expectation that you would work on this business for a certain number of hours in a day but not all day and night every week.” Or, “I had an expectation that after you reached a certain amount of revenue you would be financially comfortable and would slow down. I had an expectation that you would show me the respect of being on time and giving me your full attention when you got here.”To have healthy and happy relationships you need to ask questions to understand the expectations of your loved ones. If your expectations are the same as theirs—and if each of you meets those expectations—then you will be fine. If expectations are not aligned then you have to re-set them by clearly explaining what is going to happen, why it has to be that way and for how long. Even when people don’t like something, knowing the truth about it makes it more tolerable.