Blog Spot - 2023 Reset by Dario Cotroneo

How to maintain Strong Interpersonal Relationships

People need people! Human connections are often what makes our life so damn special. Interpersonal relationships are the strong connections we feel towards others. It can be with your partner, loved ones, close friends, acquaintances, coworkers, clients/guests, and many others who make up the social connections in your life.

As hairdressers part of being successful relies on our relationships we form with coworkers and our clients/guests. Here are 8 top tips to maintaining strong interpersonal relationships.

1. BE OPEN

All strong relationships need to have the willingness to be open. This means the ability and desire to share what you’re thinking. When you are open and willing to share, it shows the other person that you care about the relationship; that you are wanting to create a close connection by being truthful and receptive to the other person’s thoughts and feelings. This creates a strong bond.

2. SHOW EMPATHY

Here’s a saying you may have heard before: “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. People will never forget how you made them feel.” Powerful words! One of the deepest human desires is to feel understood. When you show empathy towards someone else, you are showing that you care enough to understand how they feel, and that goes a long way in maintaining strong relationships.

3. BE RESPECTFUL

It goes without saying that in order to help build and maintain strong relationships, you need to be respectful — respectful of the other person’s time, opinion, feelings, and so on. This is vitally important in one-onone relationships. The same really holds true in close relationships that involve a group type dynamic.

If you work within a team, things will go so much better and the friendships will develop stronger, if you are respectful to others in the group. One of the biggest reasons, besides being the right thing to do, is you want others to be respectful of your time and opinions also. It helps develop a sense of bonding and trust.

4. BE AVAILABLE

Giving your time is like giving a gift. Time is the one thing we all have the same amount of — same 24 hours in a day, same amount of days in a week, etc. How you choose to spend that time says a lot about you. Being available to someone shows that you value them enough to spend your time with them. Giving of your time shows the other person that you care enough about them and the relationship to share your most valuable commodity. Being available to someone will do wonders for maintaining strong personal relationships.

5. ESTABLISH BOUNDARIES

Boundaries are critical for healthy relationships. A boundary is a belief, or way of life. It involves your beliefs, values, and limits. It’s important to be clear to other people in your life, especially the strong interpersonal relationships, about what your boundaries are. It helps to create selfesteem and respect in the relationship. It’s basically showing others what you stand for and what you will and won’t allow in your life.

A quick example for context that is probably helpful here: Make it clear to each client/guest in the consultation, how long it will take and how much it will cost prior to starting. This is essential that each of your salon clients/ guests know exactly what it will take to execute the agreed look. This is a healthy, well-established boundary.

6. BE A GOOD LISTENER

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Something most people tend to forget is that listening is half of all communication. When we get good at listening, it becomes more than half of our communication, because being a good listener will do wonders for your strong relationships.

Showing that you are actively listening will help boost the other persons self-esteem because it shows that you truly care what they are saying. This makes them feel important and shows that you seek to understand how they are feeling. It’s like the silent form of flattery to the person you are interacting with. It makes them feel supported and most importantly, valued.

7. OKAY TO DISAGREE

It is beneficial to strong interpersonal relationships to know that it’s okay to disagree. We are all different and have different feelings and opinions. Strong relationships actually thrive on some disagreement and conflict. The alternative is not speaking up when you disagree with something and suffer internally. We all know what happens if you stuff your feelings and opinions inside for a long time - Resentment will eventually explode in a way that’s not good for anyone.

I believe I have a strong relationship with both of my teenage daughters. We tend to disagree and argue a fair amount, which is fine. I always let them know that whilst I don’t always like what they are saying or doing, I love them and am there for them 100%. They are free to say the same back to me. Having the ability to disagree with the other person fosters a much more open relationship where everyone feels comfortable sharing how they think and feel.

8. BE APPRECIATIVE

This one makes a lot of sense. Showing you are appreciative of another person in a good relationship only makes the relationship stronger. We all like to feel appreciated and understood. When someone thanks you for something you did or said, it makes you feel good. You feel good because it’s nice to know that your efforts not only make someone feel better or supported, but also that they noticed.

Final Thought..

Never forget how important strong and close relationships are, to lead a happy and fulfilling life.

Dario Cotroneo is the Founder and Educator DCI Education www.dcieducation.com

I believe I have a strong relationship with both of my teenage daughters. We tend to disagree and argue a fair amount, which is fine. I always let them know that whilst I don’t always like what they are saying or doing, I love them and am there for them 100%. They are free to say the same back to me. Having the ability to disagree with the other person fosters a much more open relationship where everyone feels comfortable sharing how they think and feel.