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As global turnover increases in terms of job changes, one of the things we have learned through the data we have gathered at Kenexa is that employees generally quit bosses rather than organization. So, managers who are able to build a good rapport with members of their teams, are good bosses to work for, and are truly concerned about their employees’ welfare are less likely to lose employees. One of the problems that managers might have is developing a close relationship with their team. A manager who does not have such a relationship would do well to either apply the Kenexa Relationship Rubric and see where the relationships are lacking, or find other methods to develop relationships.

In a recent post, I spoke about how relationship and results affect performance. Another factor that can greatly influence outcomes is communication. To continue with my example of two builders, A and B, your perception of their performance also depends on how well they have communicated with you, and this communication depends on the relationship you build. As a client, your perception of the builder depends on his response to your queries, whether he has kept you informed about developments and progress, and so on. Good and regular communication helps establish a good working relationship, and you will have a finger on the pulse of the project throughout its course.

Another aspect of relationships is the credibility created by setting the right expectations and then by meeting those expectations. Take the case of the builders A and B that I spoke about in my last post. They are both bidding for the same job, and they look at the design and then need to submit projections for the materials required, the cost of building and the timeline for completion. They also need to factor in the many things that can go wrong, such as lack of availability of a particular material, or delayed delivery of supplies, or inclement weather. At the same time, each knows that he needs to outbid the competition in order to get the job. Furthermore, each needs to walk the fine...

Two of the many factors that influence performance are relationship and results. I have spoken about this notion in an earlier post. Another factor that comes into play here is a person’s individual perception of someone’s performance, which again is affected by his or her relationship with that person, and the projected and actual results. Say you decide to build a new house. You shortlist two builders, let’s call them A and B. You show them the design and they give you very similar quotations for the work. You choose A, and decide to start the building. Builder A gives you a timeline as to when he thinks the project will be complete, and he actually delivers on his promis...

Benjamin Disraeli once said, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” This supposedly refers to the persuasive power of numbers, and how statistics can be used to bolster even inaccurate arguments. Results can be positioned, managed, and massaged in a number of different ways to create an illusion of success with nothing concrete to back that up. In developing performance, the result component is very important in terms of where the measurements are. To give a specific example, say you are developing a software program that has very tight specifications associated with what the end product is going to look like. Somewhere along the way, you need to put...

When you reflect on your own life and the especially strong relationships that you have had, you will find that these are primarily driven by one of two things: either you enjoy the company of these people, or you learn from them. Other than close family, most friends and acquaintances or people that you are close to will meet one or the other of these two criteria—it is unusual to have friends who do not. Relationships you have that do not meet these criteria are usually ephemeral—for example, you might meet someone while playing a sport. If the only thing you have in common is that sport, then the relationship will not last if one of you gives up playing for some reason—t...