When on the job many of us feel pressure to get more done. It's almost like taking time to get to know our customers and coworkers is not a good use of time. We tend to keep conversation to a minimum, do our job and move on as quickly as possible.
If that's how you do business you may be missing out. A career filled only with surface relationships is not very fulfilling. I have found that it's okay to get personal, in fact it's essential. Surprisingly, it's actually more efficient to take the time to get know the people you work with. Knowing more about their situation will enable you to better understand their needs and will help avoid costly errors. It also sends the message that you care.
If someone has disappointed you, let them know.
I've also found that it's best to let those you work with know how you really feel. It takes courage to open up to people, after all they may not agree with your opinion. As long as you are respectful and open to another point of view it's okay if some people don't agree with everything you say. Recently a supplier whom I've worked with over the long term was not delivering on time or returning calls promptly. I told him that his service has slipped and how disappointed I was in his recent performance. I asked him what was wrong to cause the drop in his performance. By his reaction I could tell he was surprised and embarrassed. He opened up and told me about some personal issues he was going through and assured me his performance would improve. I could tell he appreciated my concern for him. Ever since this frank discussion his service has been great. I think he just needed to know that he was important and that I cared about him.
In business it’s the relationships that matter.