The Power of Relationship-Building

Those who know me personally know that I enjoy helping out in the community. It's not out of the ordinary to see me acting in a community play or helping people in an "at-risk" neighbourhood start a business.

Over the past four months I volunteered my time at my local church, playing a small part in an Easter play. To tell you the truth, this was one of the most fulfilling experiences I've ever had. Not necessarily because I was involved in the community, but because of the level of relationship that we experienced. As a cast and production team we developed loving relationships. We became a family to the point that many of us shed a tear at the thought of going our separate ways. Personally, the day after Easter Sunday, the day we had prepared for for months, I felt like I had experienced a loss. After the show I saw youths, boys and guys, crying because this play provided them with a level of stability and love that they weren't getting at home. I had to ask myself why this group was so effective in building loving relationships when other groups find it hard to accomplish that goal. The conclusion I came to was that there was no judgment in this group. Everyone was accepted for who they were. People who were leaders in the church were allowed to just be themselves and didn't have the pressures of being perfect. Those youth who were not Christians weren't pressured to conform to typical Christian behaviour; when a sware word or crude comment came out of their mouth they weren't condemned. Everyone was allowed to be themselves.

I left this community play with lessons in team-building that I'm going to implement in the business world. I've learned that when building a team people should be allowed to be themselves. Yes, people should rally behind common practices and a common vision, but in textbook corporate culture people are encouraged to assimilate into the culture and not express individuality. I have seen this kind of culture do damage to people emotionally and mentally. There has to be a healthy balance. As a manager at any level in an organization there is a responsibility to genuinely care for the people under our leadership, because we're not just in the business of managing systems, product lines, and profitability, but we're in the business of managing people's lives.

It almost seems like an oxymoron to value caring and relationship-building in business and corporate settings, but that's exactly what's wrong with our business centers. I'm asking myself what our businesses and corporations would be like if they were filled with the kind of fulfilling relationships that I experienced while working on this community play. Only time can tell. That's my goal.


Kevin Bourne
Senior Admin/Management Consultant
Public & Busniess Administration
krbourne@jdas.ca