Improving internal relationships

As a leader, there are a number of internal relationships you should be aware of. It’s not just relationships with your team and your boss which are important – you now have impact and input across other teams and the organisation as a whole.

Here’s an image to illustrate:


Although to begin with, some of these relationships might be challenging or outside of your comfort zone, it's important to work on your skills to build these relationships to increase your confidence and the way you’re perceived in the organisation.

Rights & responsibilities
As you grow in your relationships with others in the organisation, it’s important to remember that you have rights in any working relationship, and also responsibilities. And, of course, the other person also has their own rights and responsibilities.

If you find a relationship challenging, then it’s worth remember the rights that you have. These are things like:

  • The right to be treated with respect.
  • The right to be listened to.
  • The right to have your ideas considered.
  • The right to speak up for your team.

At the same time, you should think about your responsibilities in this relationship. Your responsibilities are things like:
  • The responsibility to treat others with respect.
  • The responsibility to listen to others.
  • The responsibility to consider other people’s ideas.
  • The responsibility to consider the needs of other people’s teams.
Location: Oxford, Royaume-Uni

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