BUILDING EFFECTIVE ON-ON-ONE RELATIONSHIP

Reading the article it seems that resolving a conflict in one to one work relationship is not that
difficult, just need to apply some simple questions to inquire others view, however I believe it
needs a whole life learning time to master it. Knowing our own strength or weakness could help us to
understand our tendency in one to one work relationship; are we easy to go into conflict or more
into conflict avoidance behavior
As you advance in your careers, excellent technical competencies will not be enough. Your
success will be more and more on your human competencies your ability to do the important
interpersonal work of developing effective work relationship with key individuals. The quality of
a managers work relationship are especially critical at the upper functional and general
management levels. Below are key points from the reading:
1. Our reasoning with regard to interpersonal matters should be as analytical, strategic, and as
data-driven as any other management discipline
2. Effective managers must know how to build relationship, based on mutual expectations, trust,
and influence, with the complex network of people of whom they are interdependent
3. Although it is easier to develop relationship with those who share the same background,
values, interest, or working style, as a manager you must be able to diagnose potential
barriers to establishing mutually beneficial relationship with different individuals, and find a
basis upon which to build more effective relationship
4. The degree of relationship can be measured based on :
1) Mutual expectations about performance, goals and priorities
2) Mutual trust that develops in a relationship
3) Mutually influence each other beyond what is accorded to them by virtue of their roles
5. Effective relationship is one that mutual expectations, trust and influence grow overtime and
become more concrete, tested and grounded
6. Conflicts will inevitably arise, even when you have good intentions. You have to use your
basic thinking skills to identify such conflicts and find out how to resolve it
7. Manager need to balance advocacy and inquiry skill to promote mutual learning and when
trying to resolve a conflict. This skill helps both parties test their mental models, that is,
clarify their assumptions, uncover internal contradictions in their assumptions, and develop a
mutual and more accurate and refined understanding of what really transpired and why.
8. Some simple questions can be used to advocate your own view and to inquire into others
view.