Relationships: a dying breed?

Relationships: a dying breed?

Internationally certified (team) coach Angela van Dorssen talks about her daily practice. Since March 2020, she has been a certified as a neuro-transformational coach.

I’ll get straight to the point: investing in business relationships requires attention to prevent extinction!

I increasingly hear in teams that professionals prioritise the content of their work over building strong interpersonal relationships. Choosing efficiency over caring for others. They feel squeezed by tight schedules and the pressures of the day. Supervisors breathe down their necks, because they also have to meet deadlines. So, quickly moving to the next appointment rather than calling a colleague who seemed emotional during a meeting often seems like the best option at the time. A mountain of work awaits you.

The cost of fleeting contact

The flip side is that relationships sustain structural damage, leading in the long term to a lack of trust and an increased risk of conflict. This is reflected in the performance of a team or company. Decision-making takes a long time or fails altogether. How do you bridge differences when you doubt the other’s intentions? After all, you don’t really know them.

Our mindset: investing in relationships comes at the expense of productivity

Moreover, signs of overstimulation and stress are on the rise. The Trimbos Institute, TNO and CBS have reported an increase in stress-related and psychological complaints since 2022. Rapidly switching between appointments without breaks exhausts us.

From a neurological perspective, it makes sense to allow space for emotions at work: “We are not robots.” We are emotional beings, sometimes overwhelmed by life. It may sound strange, but we recover by expressing emotions in meaningful conversations, feeling genuine attention and being seen and supported. We typically discuss these matters with colleagues that we trust, bonds often formed during those moments at the coffee machine when the topic of conversation isn’t work, or when there is room for the person behind the professional in that online team meeting.

The magic of connection

Last week, I facilitated an peer supervision group who were experiencing a lack of connection online, making it difficult to share personal matters. However, peer supervision requires trust. This lack of connection nearly led to the end of the group. They broke the cycle and accepted the considerable travel time to meet in person. What happened next was almost magical. Participants naturally dared to be vulnerable, allowed emotions to surface and were surprised by what developed. Such is the magic of connection.

Prioritise relationships

Strong relationships are built by personalising interactions and showing genuine interest in others. And, yes, that takes time. However, I assure you that the time invested will pay off handsomely when it comes to making decisions.

Please call me if you would like to have a sparring partner.
06 1985 0504

Team coaching