Completely agree with #1 on the list. If there is one thing that has been stressed to me during my professional career (worked 5 years at a Fortune 500 finance company) it’s the importance of relationship building. The way you treat people is so important, not only for your reputation and the reputation of your team, but that person will also be more likely to go out of their way to help you in the future if you are nice to them and treat them with respect.

It’s a delicate balance as it’s easy to get frustrated at work and to then accidentally take it out on someone that doesn’t deserve it (which I have done many times unfortunately) but a good trick someone provided me with in the past was every time you come out of interaction with someone you should ask yourself was that a positive or a negative interaction. They won’t always be positive, but when you go in with that mindset, hopefully it helps you to choose your words more carefully and try to keep your emotions in check as much as possible.

Enjoyed the article.