Constructing Relationship Culture

© Can Stock Photo / AndreyPopov

Constructing Relationship Culture

Every relationship has a culture. With each interaction between individuals and groups we teach others how to treat us, and we demonstrate what we are willing to contribute to the relationship. Without consciously realizing it, every time we speak, act, or gesture in the context of our relationships we are laying the groundwork for the culture that will define these engagements. We are showing others our potential and our limits. We are observing others and taking in subliminal clues about what they are hoping to achieve. We are building something important.

At the heart of relationship culture is the people who define it. To make any cooperative agreement work we need not only agree on the end game; we must also collectively contribute to the culture of that relationship and agree (subconsciously or otherwise) to abide by the “rules”. That means that although there may be money, business, or disagreements at stake, the most important consideration must be defining a culture that respects the people in the relationship, their contributions, and their emotional and social investments in the endeavor.

Unfortunately, most of the time relationship culture is built by accident. Individuals focused on a collective achievement come together and give it all they have, without any deliberate thought about developing a relationship culture that works. As a result, relaxed, open communicators with collective problem-solving skills get thrown together with self-focused, corporate ladder climbers, or introverted analytical-minded calculators, and we wonder why agreement is difficult. We wonder why we don’t see eye to eye and how another person could interpret our words so dramatically different from how we meant them.

Because we can’t (and shouldn’t) change who we intrinsically are, successfully negotiating relationships means ensuring those relationships have their very own culture with values and ethics we can all respect and that guide our actions. Is the relationship defined by being accountable? Making a difference? Making money? Focusing on detail? Being completely honest? Respecting policy and rules? Respecting others? Once the relationship culture is clear, the people involved know where to place their focus and the values by which they can shape their contributions.

This issue looks at some of the incredible people who make this industry great and demonstrate some important values intrinsic to successful relationship culture. Local 12’s JATC in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, demonstrates tenacity and dedication by actively pursuing government grants and putting them to use to build more robust training facilities that benefit contractors and tradespersons alike. The ITI and manufacturers have teamed up to make sure contractors and craftspersons are armed with the skill, creativity, and innovation they need to tackle growing demand from the architectural sheet metal industry. See page 6 for details.

On page 9 we feature Building Union Diversity—a program training minorities and women in an array of construction trades, employing sensitivity and curiosity in supporting these individuals in their journeys toward rewarding and fulfilling careers. Finally, we look at the opioid crisis in the construction industry. Despite its controversial nature, there are common elements that lead employers, craftspersons, and the medical industry together for the good of solutions—empathy, accountability, and mutual respect. ▪