Building relationships, whether personal or professional, can be challenging and even daunting at times. It often requires stepping out of your comfort zones, facing fears of rejection, and dedicating time and energy to creating meaningful connections. In the context of enterprise or entrepreneurship, these connections often lay the foundation for successful collaborations and innovative ventures. While this process can be exhausting and time-consuming, the challenges are what make relationships so rewarding! Through them, you foster personal growth, mutual understanding and a sense of belonging.
Over the course of your life, you will form many kinds of relationships, each with its own trajectory, some will flourish, while others may naturally fade. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to stay connected with everyone and shouldn’t feel pressured to do so either.
In a professional context, building relationships is equally valuable, as it can support your career growth by expanding your network, enhancing collaboration skills, and opening doors to mentorship and partnership opportunities. These skills are especially vital in enterprise, where leveraging networks and forming strategic partnerships often determine the success of new ideas or businesses. Strong workplace connections not only contribute to a positive working environment but also equip you to navigate challenges and achieve your professional goals more effectively.
For further information about careers, you can gain further support by accessing the Careers & Employability Service. For further information about progressing your enterprise skills, you can utilise Enterprise Support.
One aspect of building relationships lies in remaining true to yourself and others. At university, you will meet a variety of people, each with different experiences, cultures, backgrounds and personalities.
It is important to not only acknowledge, but also embrace the diversity of the people that you meet.
As highlighted earlier in the guide, respect is one of the strongest foundations of a healthy relationship.
“Absence makes the heart grow fonder”
This phrase, whilst commonly used as an idiom of love, is an echo of "Always toward absent lovers love’s tide stronger flows" in the Canterbury Tales, that highlights the importance of giving people space (Chaucer, 1387).
Even the closest of relationships benefit from the space for each other to grow individually! Recognising that boundaries should be put in place allows relationships to flourish without feeling suffocated or forced.
Building relationships can take time; for some, a small group of close friends is desirable, whereas others may wish for a wide network of connections. Regardless of which approach you are comfortable with, it is essential to know how to maintain these relationships to keep them positive. This skill is particularly valuable as building and nurturing relationships, along with collaboration, is critical for future careers and to develop your employability skills, where trust and teamwork often pave the way for success.
For further guidance on careers, please visit the Careers & Employability Service. And for further information on enterprising, please visit Enterprise Support.
University life offers countless opportunities to meet new people and build meaningful connections. Through the Union of Students, you can join societies or clubs as a student or alumni. Whether it’s a shared hobby, sport, or passion, these groups provide a natural way to connect with others who already share your interests.
Beyond campus, consider exploring community events run by the local council or organisations you support. Volunteering is another fantastic way to meet like-minded people while contributing to causes you care about.
Don’t forget to check out informal gatherings such as study groups, or university social media platforms, which can help you find new connections.
Be mindful that stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new might just lead to the friendships and networks you’re looking for!
Initiating conversations with someone new can be nerve wracking. Some tips for making this challenge easier are of the following:
Starting with a Smile
Approaching a new person with a smile and open body language sets a positive tone for conversation. You can also make eye contact, if you feel comfortable to do so. Any relationship should be built upon the foundation of you being yourself! Don’t force body language of conversation that is unnatural to you.
Greeting Them
You can then follow by opening with a simple greeting such as “Hi, how are you?” or “Hi, I don’t think we’ve met yet, I’m [insert your name here]”.
The latter is more effective for sustaining a longer conversation if that is your aim, keep in mind that many people in the UK use 'Hi! How're you?' as a passing greeting, without expecting a response!
Finding Similarities
You can observe the context of your meeting and comment on this to initiate conversation, such as:
“So, how do you know [mutual friend at event/ host of event]?”
“This is quite a nice place, don’t you think?”
“What brings you here today?”
Know When to close the Conversation
If the conversation naturally slows down or they seem preoccupied:
"It was really nice talking with you! Hope to see you around."
"Thanks for chatting - I’ll let you get back to [whatever they were doing prior to conversing with you]."
You should also be mindful that some people may not wish to engage in conversation, for reasons that you may not be aware of, this is an acceptable reaction so be sure to step away from the situation if they are not interested.
Managing your expectations and effort in friendships are essential. It requires balance between you and your peer, as well as fostering time for genuine connections. Relationships thrive when both invest time and energy, whether through regular communication, shared experiences, or small gestures of support.
However, it's equally important to recognise that life’s demands can sometimes limit availability, and relationships and their presences may dwindle at times. Embracing flexibility and understanding ensures that relationships remain strong, even during busy or challenging times.
One way to show appreciation for a peer is by celebrating their birthday, inviting them to events, or including them in social gatherings. However, it’s important to remember that while you might extend these efforts, they may not always be reciprocated.
The previous point connects to the importance of communication and handling conflicts in relationships. Clear communication fosters understanding and strengthens bonds, helping you and your peer see eye to eye.
Communicating with your peer can help to set boundaries to ensure that you are both feeling comfortable and respected, which reduced the likelihood of conflicts occurring. Actively listening to, and remembering what your peer has said, can also bring you closer together. It shows that you are engaged with their narrative and that you pay attention when they have something to say, making them feel positive and valued when speaking.
Relationships take time to develop. Focus on being genuine and building trust slowly. Show kindness, listen actively, and be yourself to attract people who value your company.
For more career-orientated relationships, you can look at the Networking section of our Leadership and Future Thinking guide.
Chaucer, G. (1387). The Canterbury Tales. Simon & Schuster.
