Taking Time to Know Others: Another Lesson in Building Rapport!

In order to build a relationship with someone, time has to be spent towards getting to know the other person and his or her interests, passions, etc. Taking time to get to know someone may sound hard but if done properly, can lead to a great friendship and awesome memories. By taking a few simple steps, a great relationship can be started by getting to know the other person.

By taking time to know someone else, you are giving a reason for the other person to trust you and develop a relationship. When you first meet someone new, it might be easy to provide your own verbal autobiography, however, it's better to show an interest in the other person and learn more about him or her. Taking time to boast about yourself may be a turnoff to some and may come across the wrong way. Taking time to show you want to learn about someone else can help develop a relationship and start a great conversation.

If you are new to a company, taking a few moments to get to know the people you will be working with can help develop trust and relationships with your coworkers. Distracting them during their daily routine may not always be the best way to develop a conversation but taking time to sit with them during lunchtime or taking a few moments to say hello before the day gets started can help. Take a few moments to say hello to these people, learn about their interests and passions and it will mean a lot that you are showing an interest in getting to know other people.

If you are on a college campus, taking time to say hello to those you come across on a regular basis and getting to know these people can help as well. During my freshman year at Otterbein, I started calling the basketball games for the Otterbein women's basketball team for the campus radio and TV stations and became friends with the girls because they took the time to get to know who I was. Outside of basketball, a lot of the girls on the team would take time to say hello to me on the way to class, in the lunchroom and even in the library and the focus wasn't on my announcing or the game; a lot of these girls took time to get to know me as a person! As a result, I developed some great friendships out of this that continued through to my senior year and beyond. It meant a lot to me that these girls took time to know me as a person and I was able to build great friendships as a result of this kindness.

Getting to know someone may take a little time, however, it isn't as hard as it seems. By taking time to know the person sitting across from you or those you interact with, you can develop trust and relationships through this method.

College Junior and Seniors: Take Time To Teach The Freshmen and Sophomores A Thing or Two!

Being a college junior or senior means that your college career is coming to a close soon and plans to move on will have to be made. By the time you reach this point in your college career, there is a good chance you will have learned a lot about yourself, your skills set and may hold leadership roles in some of your extra curricular activities. If you take time to teach the freshmen and the sophomores you interact with a little of what you know, it can pay off in the long run and develop trust.

By taking a few moments to help out a college freshmen or sophomore with a common interest, you can not only build trust with that person but also develop a friendship as well. It really can mean a lot to someone if you take a few moments of your time to help them with a project, give a few pointers on getting an internship or taking a few minutes to help here and there.

During my freshman and sophomore years at Otterbein, the upperclassmen who stood out in a good way to me were the ones who took time to help others. It meant a lot to me that someone who was close to the end of his or her college career took time to talk, give me some pointers and I ended up developing some great friendships as a result of this kindness.

For example, when I was a freshman at Otterbein, a became really good friends with the girl who was the General Manager of the campus television station because she took time to sit and talk with me and learn more about what I wanted to do and get out of the program. This girl didn't have to talk to me at all but it meant a lot to me when she did and we had no trouble having a conversation. She helped give me some pointers on writing news stories, how to get involved with the station and the advice helped set the path for my college career. I am still friends with this girl as a result of her kindness and it meant a lot to me that she took the time to care.

A year later, I became one of the Assistant Promotions Directors for the campus radio station, WOBN-FM and had similar guidance from some of the juniors and seniors who worked at the station. The girl who was the webmaster took time to teach me how to develop promotional ideas for the station, I learned a lot from the General Manager by how she took time to interact with the other freshmen and sophomores at the station and it meant a lot when these two and a few of the other upperclassmen took time to share their knowledge with me. It showed me they cared, proved to me they wanted someone else to succeed and I am still friends with these people as a result. I will never forget the kindness they showed and took that with me for the rest of my college career.

As you are reaching the end of your college career, take time to help out others who are still learning the ropes. Taking time to show someone who is a freshman or sophomore something you learned along the way to help his or her college career will help you develop trust with these people and develop friendships. If you have gained the knowledge, don't be afraid to share it with someone who can benefit from it.

Developing Friendships Can Help Open Up New Opportunities

At all stages of life, having friends who will stand beside you, be in your corner and be there for you will help you get through different points in your life. Having people who will be with you through the good times and the rough will always provide a sense of comfort and enjoyment to your life. Having these people in your life is always something to be grateful for and developing these relationships can help pave the way for opportunities.

If you are a college student, take time to get to know the people in your dorm, the people you participate in other activities with, the people in your Greek Life organization, etc. You may never know how you will meet some of your best friends during these four years and take time to develop some of these relationships that are meaningful to you. Take time to help these people out, support them and give them a reason to develop the friendship with you.

During those four years, you may never know where you will meet some of your best friends. I met one of my best friends from college while watching an Ohio State football game in the lounge of the dorm, met another while doing a community service project that wasn't quite what I had expected, and became close friends with others who stood behind me at key times and I naturally clicked with. There will be times in which you know you will develop a deeper friendship with someone and these will be the friendships that will last for a long time beyond your college years. Don't be surprised if the friendship starts in the most unexpected place or instance; take time to let it grow.

Beyond your college years, take time to develop relationships with those you meet during networking events, other social functions and different events. Similar to your college years, some of your best friendships may develop through unexpected paths. I met a good friend of mine while at my dad's company picnic one year (we both found out we enjoy hockey a lot), have met some other friends through networking events, and have developed a relationship with others through mutual connections. If you feel a great friendship can develop, take time to learn more about these people, enjoy common interests and let these relationships grow.

Having friends in life is a must but finding them and letting them grow is important. Some of the best friendships may come out of the most unexpected places but can create a friendship that can last a long time.

Take Time To Enjoy Others, Your Hobbies and Exercise!

Whether you are a college student or a seasoned professional, there are always times of the year in which stress levels will be high. For most college students, mid-terms, final exams and final projects can raise stress levels. For working professionals, long weeks, busy schedules and long-term projects can be stressful and exhausting. It's not easy to avoid these situations but taking time to enjoy the company of others, your hobbies and exercising can help you refresh and alleviate the stress.

After a long week of classes or work, taking time to enjoy the company of others, whether it's friends or family, can help you relax and take your mind off school or work. Taking some time each week to spend time with a girlfriend/boyfriend, friends, or family members in social situations will help focus your attention elsewhere for a while and provide different interaction. Instead of being focused on schoolwork or your job, it will force you to socialize and discuss other topics with these people and put you at ease.

In addition to spending time with others outside of work or school, taking time during the week to enjoy hobbies can help provide relaxation and put your mind at ease. If you are into running, take time during the week to go on a long run can help relieve some of the tension built up from the stress related from school or work. If you are into photography, painting or art, taking time during the week or the weekend to work on a piece (or pieces) can help put your focus elsewhere for a while and can serve as a getaway. There are different hobbies out there and taking time to enjoy them during stressful times can help alleviate some of the tension being that is being built up.

Lastly, it's been said numerous times but taking time to work out or exercise is still one of the best stress relievers. Instead of laying around, take time to go for a run, hit the gym, go for a swim (if you enjoy the water) or go for a walk (especially if you have a canine friend who enjoys the outdoors). Taking time to exercise during the week will help relieve the tension being built up, will give you another outlet for some of the excess energy and make you feel better about yourself.

Even though stress is unavoidable at times, finding different methods of handling it by spending time with others, taking time for your hobbies and exercising can help relieve the tension that is built up. Spending time with others can help focus your attention elsewhere in a social setting, taking time to enjoy your hobbies can channel your energy and thoughts into a project that is fun for you, and exercising will help relieve tension and help you relax. Stress can't always be avoided but finding ways to handle it can help in the long run.

Take Time To Say Thanks To Those Who Have Helped You Along The Way

No matter where you are at in your life, whether you are a college student looking to get a career started or a seasoned professional deep into a career, chances are, someone helped you along the way. This assistance could have come in many different forms and probably helped get you to where you are at now. If someone has helped you along the way, taking time to say thank you will help strengthen the relationship with that person and show kindness as well.

If someone has done you a favor or helped you along the way, saying thank you can help build and strengthen that relationship with that person. Taking a few moments to show your appreciation will prove to that person you cared about his or her time, you appreciated the assistance and you care enough to take a few moments to show gratitude. Not taking the time to say thank you could leave a bad impression with that person and make them wonder if he or she should help you again in the future.

Whenever you sit down to network with someone, taking a few moments to send a thank you e-mail or handwritten thank you note could be key to building that relationship and maintaining that contact. It shows the other person you appreciated his or her time, you are interested in the advice and will help you stand out from those who don't say thank you. This same technique can also be done with job interviews and sometimes that can be a deciding factor in whether or not someone will bring you in for another interview or even a job offer. A small thank you note can mean a lot to someone and could help keep your foot in the door for an opportunity.

On a personal level, there are probably people who have helped you along the way with matters outside of your job. This could come in the form of helping out with a personal relationship (or dating), helping with a job around the house, or being there in times of trouble or personal matters. Taking a few moments to say thank you to those people can help build these relationships as well.

In these instances, sending a thank you note can be done but you can also take it to another level if this person is a friend. Sometimes including a gift card to a favorite restaurant, movie tickets, or other gift card is a nice way to show appreciation as well. It serves as a pleasant surprise and really demonstrates to the other person that his or her help was appreciated.

Whether it's your professional or personal life, someone has probably helped you along the way and it's always best to give thanks. It will show the other person the kindness was appreciated, provide reason to continue and develop that relationship, and provide other opportunities down the line.

Taking Time To Know Others: A Key To Building Relationships

Throughout life, there will always be opportunities to meet new people but sometimes we only get one chance to make a good first impression. Making a solid good first impression can lead to developing a relationship with that person later on. Building that relationship from that first meeting starts with taking time to learn about the other person.

Whenever you meet someone new, it is easy to want to provide your own verbal autobiography or talk a lot about yourself. While this may interest the other person a bit, doing it too much may also be a turn off. The key to getting to know the other person is to ask questions about them and learn about his or her interests and passions.

When asking someone to talk about him or herself, the goal is not to make it a game of 20 questions; it's to slowly learn about that person without getting too personal or making the other person feel like he or she is being interrogated. Take it slow, find small tidbits about hobbies, interests or small pieces of information and go from there.

During certain events in which you meet new people such as networking events, it's not always easy to know who is going to be there beforehand. The key to these situations is listen to what the person says and ask about a couple of specific points.

For example, if someone says he or she does volunteer work on the side, you can ask if they volunteer with an organization, what they enjoy about it and how he or she started volunteering. That way, it develops a conversation, gets the other person to talk about his or her interests and gives you the opportunity to learn about someone else. It's an opportunity to learn about someone else's passion and provides them a reason to keep talking to you.

Even though it sounds easy, it does take a little practice but there are different ways you can practice. If you are a college student, you can try having a small conversation with the people who work in the local coffee shop, the people who take care of you at the bookstore, the library, etc. When you are at the checkout line, take a few minutes to ask the person at the counter how his or her day is going and you might be surprised as to what you can find out. It might not be often that someone takes a few minutes to get to know these people and will help you stand out.

Building relationships in life is key and the first step is to take time to know the other person. Take time to listen, understand his or her interests and learn about them so you can build trust and that relationship.

Take Time To Share Passions With Others....

Having your hobbies and your passions is what can fill the time and make life enjoyable outside work and school. Being able to enjoy a particular activity on a regular basis can help you relax during rough weeks and give you opportunities to look forward to. Being able to have a hobby to enjoy is fun but taking time to share the experience with someone else can create fun memories.

If you have a particular hobby or passion and notice a friend, relative or anyone else shows interest in it, take an opportunity to share that passion with that other person. You may never know what can come from taking time to share something that you enjoy doing with someone who might share the same interest.

For example, being a big hockey fan, I enjoy taking friends and relatives to Lake Erie Monsters games. I've been a hockey fan my entire life and it's enjoyable for me to share that passion with others. I enjoy going to the games myself but taking time to share the fun experience with those who showed an interest in going with me has created some lasting memories.

Another example that comes to mind is when I took my Great Uncle Andy (or Uncle Andy as we call him) to his first ever Columbus Blue Jackets hockey game. I was living in Columbus at the time and Uncle Andy would always e-mail me and call me to see how the team was doing. Forward Rick Nash was his favorite player and I could tell from his voice on the other end of the phone, he was itching to go to a game in Columbus. He always watches the team on television and after several messages back and forth, I decided to share my passion of going to Blue Jackets games with him.

On the night of the game, Uncle Andy could not have been any happier to finally see his Blue Jackets and his favorite player, Rick Nash, live in person. It warmed my heart to know I had made his night (and probably his year!) by taking time to share this passion of mine with him. He enjoyed being able to see his favorite team in person and that created a lasting memory not only for him but for me as well.

Having a passion or hobby is a great way to enjoy life, however, taking time to share that with others can make a positive impact on someone else's life too.