Jun 28 2009
Building Relationships With Three Cups of Tea
I just finished reading “Three Cups of Tea,” by Greg Mortenson and I was quite taken by his story. One paragraph stands out,
“We Americans think you have to accomplish everything quickly. We’re the country of thirty-minute power lunches and two-minute football drills. Our leaders thought their ‘shock and awe’ campaign could end the war in Iraq before it even started. Haji Ali taught me to share three cups of tea, to slow down and make building relationships as important as building projects. He taught me that I had more to learn from the people I work with than I could ever hope to teach them.”
How does this translate to running a business? If you are always pushing to make your pitch, get a sale or trying to convince people to work with you, you are missing the opportunity to build relationships and learn more about who they are and what they can teach you. In this way, your clients and employees are your teachers.
1. Find out what makes them tic.
2. Discover what they desire and need.
3. Learn about how you can help them.
4. Notice how they interact.
5. Ask to be taken into their world.
Strong relationships are the cornerstone of business. Without doing that part first, not only will you get less done but you won’t build a strong team to move forward with you. The very first step of a good marketing plan is to know your customers first. The same goes for employees. It’s all about focus and clarity. If you want loyal people who are invested in your business, you have to begin with three cups of tea.
I agree with you. Taking some time to get to know someone can really help you in the short and long run. When they see that you want to get to know them, then they also slow down and start getting to know you.
Thanks for the comment Taylor.
Writing this re-reminded me of the deep value of “just taking time,” as I tend to be in a hurry way too much, and then miss those opportunities.