I have a secret. This secret will tell you how to be successful in business. It’s all consuming. Understanding this, will enable you to secure your goals regardless of what you do, where you do it or how complex it is.

Like all the truly enlightening lessons in life, it is simple. So simple in fact that I’m sure you won’t believe me. Yet, I assure you it’s true. Not only that, many decades of leadership learning and business results testify to it.

So here’s it is. I’m going to share it. Perhaps you should sit down, to reflect on the depth of this truth. The secret to business success is relationships. There it is. Underwhelmed?
You shouldn’t be. It is your golden ticket. Get your relationships right and you can guarantee high performance and success.

It is, of course, not easy to get relationships right. That’s what makes this simple piece of business enlightenment so special. If you do get it right, magic happens.

Nothing is simple though. Relationships are complex, outcomes uncertain. People are emotional, irrational. Therefore, getting your relationships right requires craft and consistency. To get them right though pays massive dividends. High performing relationships create alignment. Only by truly exploring what is key for teams and individuals, can you get aligned around the same goals. Securing goal alignment in itself transforms performance.

How many times have you been in a position where the goals are unclear, misty at best. More often or not, goals shift during the year leaving you confused and perhaps unsure. Effective relationships avoid this. They ensure people are engaged and involved to understand the goals early on. And strong relationships also ensures key stakeholders are party to any goal realignment. This preserves the consistent focus of the teams and your supply chain.

Effective relationships foster collaboration. They maximise performance when things are going well and they help quickly react to challenges when they occur. Teams and businesses need to collaborate well to be successful. Which are the relationships that are most important in your business today? Do you talk straight with them? Can you put the difficult topics on the table and work through these issues effectively? Do you trust them and do they fully trust you? Do you speak about things internally that you wouldn’t share with your partners or suppliers? These are factors that need to be addressed for true collaboration. Find a way to have high quality and deep discussions on the important things.

Be clear about what others do that motivate you, and what they do that is less helpful. If you can foster this level of dialogue and exploration you are well on your way to a high functioning relationship. This will dramatically improve your chances of success. So there it is, the secret of business success is relationships. You don’t believe me do you? It feels way to simple and doesn’t it. Think about it though.

Get your relationships right and you will create goal alignment and effective collaboration. Give it a try and watch the magic happen.