How do you maintain relationships across contexts?

Relationships are essential for personal and professional success, but they can also be challenging to maintain across different contexts. Whether you are interacting with your family, friends, colleagues, clients, or strangers, you need to adapt your communication style and expectations to suit the situation. In this article, you will learn some tips on how to maintain relationships across contexts, such as:

1 Identify your goals

Before you engage in any communication, ask yourself what you want to achieve from the interaction. Do you want to inform, persuade, entertain, or connect with the other person? Your goal will help you choose the appropriate tone, language, and content for your message. For example, if you want to inform your boss about a project update, you might use a formal and factual style, but if you want to entertain your friend with a funny story, you might use a casual and humorous style.

Add your perspective

Daniel Alderman

Open to opportunities.
Report contribution
In my experience, the best way to build immediate rapport is to match the tone and style of whomever you wish to communicate with. If your boss is using formal language in an email, match that tone. If a prospect or client writes an informal email, match their tone. When a client writes a short informal email think about what led them to communicate that way. Perhaps they are juggling too many tasks and need a quick response. If you respond formally, you risk alienating the individual, or even worse, they may not even read your email due to lack of time. The matching of tone is essential.

Like

2 Respect the norms

Different contexts have different norms and expectations for communication. For example, in a professional setting, you might be expected to follow certain rules of etiquette, such as addressing people by their titles, using polite expressions, and avoiding slang or jokes. In a social setting, you might be expected to show more personal interest, use more informal language, and share more emotions. To maintain relationships across contexts, you need to respect the norms and adapt your communication accordingly. For example, if you are emailing a client, you might use a formal greeting and a clear structure, but if you are texting a friend, you might use an emoji and a short message.

Add your perspective

Alicia (M) Morgan, PMP ®, AM-MC ®

| Award-Winning High Impact Leader | Facilitator | PMP Certified Consultant | LinkedIn Top Voice | TEDx Speaker | Keynote Speaker | Agile Metrics Certified
Report contribution
One important aspect of adapting your communication style is understanding whether the people in the environment communicate explicitly or implicitly. Explicit communication is direct and straightforward, while implicit communication is more indirect and subtle. In some cultures, explicit communication is the norm, while in others, implicit communication is preferred. If you are not sure whether the people in an environment communicate explicitly or implicitly, it is always best to err on the side of caution and be more indirect. This will help to avoid misunderstandings and ensure that your message is received as intended.

Like

3 Listen actively

One of the most important skills for maintaining relationships across contexts is listening actively. Listening actively means paying attention to what the other person is saying, showing interest and empathy, and responding appropriately. Listening actively can help you understand the other person's perspective, needs, and feelings, and build trust and rapport. For example, if you are talking to your spouse about their day, you might nod, ask questions, and express support, but if you are talking to a stranger at a networking event, you might smile, exchange information, and find common ground.

Add your perspective

Daniel Alderman

Open to opportunities.
Report contribution
I believe the easiest way to achieve success in sales of any kind is listening and not hearing but listening to understand the underlying tone. The majority of communication is non-verbal but in the business world, we are often limited to only verbal or written communication. Pause, try to understand what someone is saying before responding. I read something that profoundly changed how I communicate and unfortunately, I do not know the originator of this quote but we have 30% more time to react than we believe. Take that extra 30% and think about the human being on the other end.

Like

4 Give feedback

Another key skill for maintaining relationships across contexts is giving feedback. Feedback is the way you communicate your opinions, feelings, and suggestions to the other person. Feedback can be positive or negative, but it should always be constructive and respectful. Giving feedback can help you share your expectations, improve your performance, and resolve conflicts. For example, if you are working with a team member on a project, you might give them feedback on their strengths and areas for improvement, but if you are reviewing a product online, you might give them feedback on your satisfaction and recommendations.

Add your perspective

5 Follow up

The last tip for maintaining relationships across contexts is to follow up. Following up means staying in touch with the other person after the communication is over. Following up can help you show your appreciation, reinforce your message, and continue the relationship. For example, if you have met a potential partner at a conference, you might follow up with an email or a phone call, but if you have attended a family reunion, you might follow up with a thank-you note or a photo.

Maintaining relationships across contexts can be challenging, but it can also be rewarding. By applying these tips, you can communicate effectively and authentically with different people in different situations, and enhance your personal and professional success.

Add your perspective

Daniel Alderman

Open to opportunities.
Report contribution
I have found tremendous success in keeping detailed notes on people's personal lives in a CRM or any sort of filing system. I then set tasks to remind myself to check-in. A recent example was a client's son who was applying to college and waiting to hear if he was accepted to the college of his choice, which happened to be my alma mater. I set myself a calendar reminder to check in and congratulate the client and his son for being accepted as soon as I found out. You would be amazed how far connecting in non-work related matters can go in building incredibly strong, long-lasting business partnerships.

Like

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

Add your perspective

Khalid Turk

Chief Healthcare Information Officer | Innovative Healthcare IT Executive Driving Digital Transformation & AI Initiatives | Author, Speaker, and Mentor|
Report contribution
Respect boundaries and privacy: Different contexts may have varying levels of formality and boundaries. Be mindful of personal space, privacy, and cultural norms. Respect the boundaries set by others and avoid prying or intrusive questions unless given permission to delve deeper. Maintain authenticity: While adapting to different contexts, it's important to stay true to yourself. Be authentic and genuine in your interactions. Practice effective conflict resolution: Conflicts can arise in any relationship, but it's how you handle them that matters. Learn and apply effective conflict resolution strategies, such as active listening, finding common

Like

How do you maintain relationships across contexts?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Identify your goals

2 Respect the norms

3 Listen actively

4 Give feedback

5 Follow up

6 Here’s what else to consider

Relationship Building

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

More articles on Relationship Building

More relevant reading

How do you maintain relationships across contexts?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Identify your goals

2 Respect the norms

3 Listen actively

4 Give feedback

5 Follow up

6 Here’s what else to consider

Relationship Building

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

Explore Other Skills