Every Tuesday, Patricia Yaya, AGU Vice President of Human Resources & Administrative Services, sends a message to the entire AGU staff featuring five short tips for getting by in the workplace.  On the Job will be publishing these tips in a new weekly segment, Tuesday Top 5.

Every business involves people and therefore relationships. We work with each other and use vendors, consultants, contractors and strategic partners who support our mission.  It takes a commitment to build a relationship. This includes time, energy, skills and often a heavy dose of patience and tact. This is a two-way relationship, and there are ways to make it both meaningful and productive. 

Here are your Tuesday Top 5 Tips to build productive and lasting business relationships. 

1. Be Genuine and Trustworthy

Honest, open (and frequent) communication is key to a successful business relationship. It takes a commitment from both parties. Whether you are working on a one-off task as part of an enterprise-level project, be authentic. If you put forth the effort, you can gain a trusted partner.

2. Listen

Take time to listen to your business partner. Ask questions to ensure that you really understand what is being discussed and the meaning behind the words.

3.   Develop Mutual Respect

Create an environment of mutual respect by demonstrating behaviors daily that allow for diversity and opinions that differ from your own. Be kind and cordial, and don’t forget to be appreciative of the expertise and time commitment of your extended team.

4. Offer Something Before Asking for Something

Be proactive. Consider introducing your business partner to your network or doing something simple like forwarding an article or link to information that might be of interest to him/her.

5.  Stay Connected

After a project or an assignment ends, keep in touch with your new business partner. Be responsive when your partner reaches out to you. Provide references and/or introduce him/her to your ever-growing network.

Patricia Yaya is the Vice President of Human Resources and Administrative Services at the American Geophysical Union.  Additional AGU Staff contributed to this blog.