By Lynesha McElveen
I know many of you have heard the saying, “Bad Company corrupts good character,” but how many of you really take this to heart as it relates to growing your business as well as yourself. It is easy for us to cut off friends we think are draining us, keeping mess going, or who don’t add value to our lives, but how easy is it to let go of business relationships the person is not keeping up their end of the deal, when you find your visions don’t line up, or it’s just not a good fit. That “Bad Company” can corrupt the very character your business was built upon. How do you solve this? We must stand back, take a long, hard look, and honestly evaluate them. Be honest if you feel like you are not getting what you want or think you should get from the relationship, and if necessary be willing to cut it off. Too many times we let things drag out because we don’t want to hurt people’s feelings. Remember, this thing is not about a person, it’s about your business, it’s about your livelihood, it’s about your family, and it’s about you!
Here are some suggestions for ending a bad relationship.
- Schedule a sit down face-to-face to tell the person your concerns. Many times you are concerned about something and the other person doesn’t even know how you feel.
- Create a plan of action to resolve whatever issues you are having. Be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time Constrained) when creating this plan in order to ensure these changes are met.
- If the person is not willing to consider making the changes, or get in line with your vision or what you think is necessary to be a part of your life, give them a small window of time to think it over.
- After the small window of time is up, try to re-negotiate the terms of the plan. If they are still unwilling to get on one accord, cut the relationship off.
- Begin implementing the things in your life yourself that you were concerned about.
- Take advantage of other opportunities to surround yourself with like minded people. Join organizations and clubs, get involved with your Neighborhood Association, and attend networking events.
- When you find the “Right People,” invite them to lunch so you can pick their brain. Recruit them as mentors, motivators, and someone you can just call on for advice.
- Tell them what you are doing and then ask them for referrals and resources to other friends, colleagues, or business partners they have that may help you on your business or personal journey.
I hope these tips can get you off to a great start at surrounding yourself with people that can help you along the way. Being involved with the wrong person in business can mean the death of your business, but being involved with the right people can mean prosperity and can take your business to a whole new level!
These tips apply not only to building better business relationships, but to building better friendships and other relationships as well.
