Summer has certainly ended and so must this series on Relationship Mastery.

Professional relationships are challening and often very intense. There definitely is an emotional side to business and we can contribute to it positively or not.

The bottom line is that while relationships are a two-way street, you can only be responsible for your own relationship behaviors and no else’s. This really is the key point of this series. You can’t “fix” someone else, but you can better manage your reactive relationship tendencies.

If you’re “going for the jugular” at times, or if you’re avoiding very real business issues and conversations, if you’re micro-managing, if you’re gossiping…these are all behaviors that impact others and that you can manage if you’re willing to take responsibility for yourself. That is:

• Observe your own reactive tendencies
• Watch what’s going on around you and how others might be reacting
• Calm yourself down; take long, deep breaths (6 second vacations)
• Ask questions to get to the facts (the facts are often calming in and of themselves)

Then, with this frame of mind you are in a better position to:

• Think carefully
• Respond thoughtfully; and in so doing
• Calm others down so that they too will be less reactive

If you only achieve this much, it’s more than many people ever do! Seriously, few people achieve this level-of self control in the face of daily relationship intensity. Truly, if you can begin to think and not react you are well on your way to becoming a true relationship master.

Look for new leadership topics to come!