Here are valuable tips you can take to help you strengthen your
relationships with people:
Be sensitive to other people's feelings - empathy is
definitely not overrated. Knowing when you're stepping on someone's toes, or
when a friend is "not in the mood" will keep you from the dreaded
foot-in-mouth disease.
Keep an open mind - no one likes shallow, narrow minded
people. Keeping an open mind is a great way to actually turn a potentially
troublesome argument into a more productive and even fun debate.
Listen more than talk - it's a sad but true fact that most
people have the tendency to run off at the mouth. By listening more than
talking, you become both more receptive to other people's opinions and ideas,
and give yourself more time to formulate appropriate responses.
Have a sense of humor - if you can make people laugh it
goes a long way towards smoothing over relationships with them. If you can even
manage the rather rare task of laughing at yourself, it shows a
self-deprecating sense of humor that shows people you aren't taking yourself
too seriously. You don't need to be a comedian, just know how to laugh and how
to make people laugh and have fun.
Treat everyone with respect - most people have this
preconceived notion that respect must be earned.
Respect, rather, should be
freely given to others, no matter their point of view and standing, and only
retracted when people do something that goes directly and irrevocably against
your own personal view of what is right.
You are not the centre of the universe - a self-centred
point of view is asking for trouble. The world does not revolve around you, and
if you act like it does, then people will most likely leave you to your own
little world where you can happily be by yourself.
It's not what you say it's how you say it - learn to say
things in a diplomatic fashion. Knowing HOW to present something is important
because people will be more apt to listen to you than if you say something in a
fashion that they either cannot comprehend or reject outright because your manner
of speaking offends them.
Be a fire hydrant, not a flamethrower - in social
interactions, it's all too easy to be a gossip or to take sides in an argument
and fanning the flames. Just remember that OTHER people want the same things
you do, and you can work WITH them to help each other achieve your goals.
Patience is the key - If you think that the above tips will
make you deal with people better overnight, you're dead wrong. And even then
you'll need to keep learning and adjusting, because every day will bring new
people into your life, with new points of view, new ideas, and new attitudes.
