Building Bridges: We’re In This Together

Looking to build bridges between people? Here are 46 ways to enhance communication, improve relationships and foster teamwork between people.

Building Bridges: We’re In This Together

Are you looking to build bridges between people? Here are 46 ways to enhance communication, improve relationships and foster teamwork.

1. Set the right tone
2. Promote win-win versus win-lose
3. Focus as much on the process as on the end result
4. Expect to date before getting married
5. Emphasize what can be achieved rather than what can’t
6. Be the first to give of yourself
7. Work hard individually; benefit mutually
8. Assume that others have your best interests at heart
9. Secure small wins to build momentum
10. Look at things from others’ perspectives
11. Spend as much time hearing as listening
12. Ensure that everyone is on the same page
13. Show as much respect as you want to receive in return
14. Compliment people in public; criticize them in private
15. Listen to others’ thoughts before presenting yours
16. Protect everything said in confidence
17. Build on mutual agreement and areas of common interest
18. Lead through buy-in rather than intimidation
19. Spend equal time understanding and persuading
20. Celebrate as a team
21. Discourage cliques
22. Be open, honest, and transparent
23. Encourage “we” rather than “us versus them”
24. Discourage grandstanding
25. Never back anyone into a corner
26. Forge a relationship built on trust
27. Don’t succumb to pettiness
28. Maintain momentum
29. Don’t make backroom deals
30. Prohibit destructive behavior
31. Play nice or don’t play
32. Be fair at all costs
33. Keep your promises
34. Make everyone look good
35. Separate the issue from the person
36. Never win at the expense of the relationship
37. Watch others’ backs and they’ll watch yours in return
38. Park your ego outside
39. Find the merit in others’ arguments
40. Take the high ground –– especially when you have the upper hand
41. Compromise your position, but not your principles
42. Be civil and respectful of others’ views
43. Demonstrate good faith
44. Prove your intentions through actions rather than words
45. When in doubt, do what’s right
46. Remember, trust takes a long time to develop, but it can be lost in seconds

How Do You Build Bridges Between People?

Additional Reading:
Good Relationships Don’t Keep Score
Win-win Business Relationships
Giving: The Most Important Lesson in Life
Fair Is Fair
The Values on Which Trust Rests

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The post Building Bridges: We’re In This Together appeared first on Frank Sonnenberg Online.