Maintaining a Quality Relationship with Friendly Interactions
It is a common premise that friendly interaction should be predicated upon the basis of some commonalities that would engender the potential for a relationship.
Successful encounters can move the potential for a relationship from an initial stage of a casual acquaintance to full-on friendship. A friend (not a frenemy) is someone we like. Someone in whom we may trust and depend. Someone whom we enjoy spending time with. That enjoyable time can be in a casual, personal setting or at work. That quality time can also be the impetus to want to maintain a relationship.
Some qualities of friendship apply to work friendships as well for personal relationships:
- Self-Disclosure
- Openness, Honesty, and Authenticity
- Compatibility
- Respect
- Helpfullness
- Trust
- Concern and Empathy
- Like Values
Poet and essayist Henry Van Dyke wrote:
“But, after all, the very best thing in a good talk, and the thing that helps most is friendship. How it dissolves the barriers that divide us, loosens all constraint, and diffuses itself like some fine old cortial through all the veins of life-this feeling that we understand and trust each other, and wish each other heartly well.”
Friendly interactions require some effort. Friendship can be in jeopardy when confidence is betrayed, when needed help is not forthcoming, or when one party simply does something the other party disapproves of. So, friendly interactions require someone to accept another person for who they are, and that means accepting their race, origin, sexual orientation, and basic beliefs. It means that there can be bridges to common values and not walls that are insurmountable barriers. A relationship can be built upon the uniqueness of each of us which can ultimately be rewarding to both parties.
In the book of John, Chapter 15, Verse 13, states, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Fortunately, most of us will never be called to lay down our life for a friend. But, it is not all that uncommon. Soldiers and first responders often are confronted with situations that call for them to risk their lives to save or help someone. So you might ask how does it apply to help a perfect stranger; what is the friendly interaction? It is simply this, we are all human beings, we all have a life, we all have wants and needs, and at times we all need help. It is not difficult to see the humanity and commonality in each of us. That is the basis for the friendly helping hand reaching out. Reaching down.
Jason Elder
Account Manager