Build Successful Relationships By Winn Claybaugh

I truly believe that a successful company or business is made up of successful relationships between the people who work there. You could walk into a store that has marble floors, amazing displays, award-winning imagery, and a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign, but if there are not successful relationships between the staff members who work there, will the customer notice? You bet. Do customers want to spend money in that type of store? Probably not.

No matter the size of the company, no matter the product or service you provide, all companies are made up of human beings who work there, and who sometimes spend more hours with co-workers than they spend with their own families. Of course you have a job to perform and tasks to execute every single day. However—and here’s where businesses often go blind—to every task that must be performed, a human being is attached. I would like to propose that your relationship with those human beings is far more important than getting the task accomplished.

At one of my business locations, we have a catchall storage room commonly referred to as "the dungeon." Anything and everything can end up in the dungeon, and venturing into that room is often preceded with the announcement, "Cover me, I’m going in!"

One of our team members is a clean freak and very task-oriented. On occasion, when he was feeling extra eager, he’d attack the dungeon with a vengeance and would resurface hours later, proclaiming it clean and organized. Unfortunately, in the process of "civilizing" the dungeon, he’d exterminate relationships with his fellow workers. In the process of getting the job done, he’d accuse this co-worker of making a mess of the dungeon, annoy another person with the "drama" of cleaning, and belittle another co-worker for not offering to pitch in.

Eventually, he’d come to me with the proud announcement, "Look! The dungeon is clean." and I’d respond, "Yeah, but you left ten people in your wake. Ten people dislike you and detest their jobs. Now that the dungeon is clean, please go back and clean up your relationships."

Let me reemphasize that, for every task that must be performed, human beings are attached to those tasks. Your relationship with those human beings is far more important than getting the task accomplished.

Winn Claybaugh, author of Be Nice (Or Else!) with foreword by CNN’s Larry King, has worked in the beauty industry since 1983. He is the National Motivational Expert for John Paul Mitchell Systems and the founder of Paul Mitchell The School, with several locations throughout the U.S. Winn has helped thousands of businesses build their brands and create successful working cultures; his clients include Vidal Sassoon, the Irvine Company, Entertainment Tonight, Mattel, For Rent magazine, Structure/Limited Express, and others. In 2004, the North American Hairdressing Awards (NAHA) recognized Winn’s outstanding contributions to the hair and beauty industry by naming him to their Hall of Leaders. In its November 1997 "Super Heroes" section, American Salon magazine called Winn a "mover of mountains" and "Mr. Fix-it." Winn has also served as vice president of the AIDS Relief Fund for Beauty Professionals, and he continues to pursue many fundraising projects. Visit Winn at www.BeNiceOrElse.com and sign up for the free monthly Be Nice (Or Else!) Newsletter.

Be Nice or Else
Resource site for author Winn Claybaugh