I think it is safe to say that one of the most important days of the month is payday. When payday comes, happiness increases. Stress decreases while confidence increases. BUT as the month goes on, expenses occur. Our account balance decreases and with unexpected expenses, stress can fester into frustration and ultimately result in anxiety or fear.
RELATIONSHIPS ARE LIKE BANK ACCOUNTS
You get out of relationships what you put into them. If you don't develop a healthy account balance with people, your relational account with them will eventually go into the red.
If parents don't have confidence in your class or school, the relationship will become an overdrawn account, and you will definitely know that because complaints will be high and trust will be low.
If students don't feel security, love and respect, they will reject learning with their discipline and attitude.
If staff members don't receive organization and communication they need to excel, they will fail. When they fail, they will disconnect and ultimately reject the vision and actions to reach that vision.
SO HOW DO WE BUILD STRONG RELATIONSHIPS?
MAKE YOUR DEPOSITS
If you want positive relationships with those you serve, you must commit to making constant deposits in their relational account.
Every interaction is either a deposit or withdrawal. We make deposits with kindness and withdrawals with insensitivity.
Everything we communicate either breeds certainty or chaos. Be clear and concise and you will see the deposits.
Every problem can be a deposit if we attack it proactively. Don't wait for the problem to blow up. Defuse the situation and deposits will be made without people even knowing it.
At the end of the day. We all want to have money in the bank and we all want to feel valued. People don't feel valued with their relational account with you are in the negative. This week, make moments with everyone you meet and watch their confidence in you and you system grow.
Good Saturday afternoon, Mr. Wink. I pray all is well. I first heard your name at a Region 7 workshop in which you were the presenter...how to build trusting relationship. Well, in reading this article about making deposits in people, I realized that is what's lacking in most relationships today, including those in our school families. We don't know how to add deposits to people's lives, but we sure like to make selfish withdrawals. In my opinion, that is precisely the only reason why we have soooo many teachers leaving the educational field. So, I challenge you to write an article, blog, or whatever about the consequences in making too many withdrawals from people...in banking, such behavior leads to …