Empathy 101: Ten Commandments Of Human Relations

These ten commandments of human
relations aren’t original to me, and I don’t know the source. At the same time,
they don’t go out of style or out of date if you are in business.

Everyone in your business must imbue
their efforts with these commandments. They are required in every type of
relationship be it marketing or selling to clients, providing customer support
before or after the sale, working with and negotiating with vendors or your
support team and of course internal to your organization.

These skills are not the sole domain of your designated human resource
professional. In fact they should be part of your company’s Hedgehog Concept
(ref: From Good to Great by Jim Collins,
http://www.jimcollins.com/lib/books.html) being bold and audacious.

As the leader of your team, go through these commandments and consider how well
you and everyone on your team abides by them. Encouraging their use just might
smooth some ruffled feathers or diffuse a tense situation.

1. SPEAK TO PEOPLE

There is nothing like a cheerful word of greeting. To really connect, look them
in the eye as you speak.

2. SMILE AT PEOPLE

It takes 72 muscles to frown, only 14 to smile. They can hear the difference in
your voice – even over the phone.

3. CALL PEOPLE BY NAME

The sweetest music to anyone’s ear is the sound of his/her own name. Be sure
you say it correctly. Say it often.

4. BE FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL

To have friends and build relationships, be a friend first.

5. BE CORDIAL

Sincerely speak and act as if everything you do is a genuine pleasure.

6. BE GENUINELY INTERESTED IN PEOPLE

You can like almost everybody if you try. They don’t care how much you know
until they know how much you care. Be sure they know how much you care.

7. BE GENEROUS WITH PRAISE

Praise publicly, correct privately. Everyone wins this way.

8. BE CONSIDERATE

of the feelings of others. There are usually three sides to a controversy:
yours, the other person’s, and the right side. Keep ego and emotions in check.

9. BE ALERT

to give excellent service. What counts most is what we do for others not
ourselves.

10. HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR

Don’t take yourself too seriously. When you add lots of patience, and humility,
you will have a recipe for enduring success.

Do you think these are soft skills you can brush aside as non-critical? Think
again. In this Conceptual Age, a deeper understanding of the subtleties of
human interactions becomes not only important but imperative. In fact, at the
Stanford Business School, students are flocking to one of the newer courses
called “Interpersonal Dynamics”. Be sure everyone on your team
masters the basics.

Kerri Salls is a business advisor who helps clients work on
their business, not just in their business. She assists successful businesses
with a burning desire to take their business to the next level of success and
are willing to invest their time and money in that pursuit. As a strategist,
Kerri enhances decision making, increases focus and improves performance of progressive
leaders as they realize their vision and vocation. www.breakthroughenterprise.com.
978.692.5258

Kerri has an MBA in International Marketing and Operations
Management from Boston University, sits on the Board of Directors for the
Middlesex West Chamber of Commerce and is the Sponsorship Chair for the Women’s
Economic Summit.