Relationship Management is close to my heart because my personal and professional life has been built on the wonderful relations that I have shared with others. Relationships are like wine. They get better with each passing day and its the best when it’s old and strong. My friend Rajesh Setty says, “Relationships are of 2 types, it’s either Long Term or Very Long Term” Let me take the help of a beautiful story to share my thoughts on ‘Relationship Management’. Once upon a time, there was a little boy, named Joe, who had sown the seed of an apple tree in his garden. He spent a lot of time watering and nourishing it, till it grew into a huge apple tree. Growing up alongwith, Joe loved climbing  the tree top, eating its apples, and taking a nap under its shade. One day, Joe came up to the tree and said that he needed money. The tree told its master to pick up its apples and then sell them away to get the money. Joe picked all the apples regularly from the tree and left happily. Joe came again some time later and said that he needed a house for shelter. The tree asked him to cut some of its branches to build the house. The tree was glad to see him happy. After a long time one hot summer day, Joe returned and the tree was so delighted. Joe said, he wanted to go sailing and he could not afford a boat. The tree immediately told him to use a part of its trunk to build a boat.  So Joe cut some part of the tree’s trunk to make a boat and then went away sailing. Many years passed and Joe had grown old with no one to talk to and live with. He came up to the tree and thanked it by saying that it has been his best friend always. Everytime he needed something the tree had always helped him. The tree said it was just expressing its gratitude because Joe was the reason for its existence. It told him to come and rest under its shade. Joe laid down under the tree, embracing its trunk. Both Joe and the tree were glad and had tears of joy in their eyes. It’s been our practice to learn from stories. With the help of this story, let me sumarize the essence of ‘Relationship Management’: $ Building and managing a relationship should be based on human value systems. $ Building strong relationships starts by giving. It could be about giving love, care, time, money, happiness…Universal laws are always true. One of them is ‘What you give, comes back to you in multiples’. $ Relationships are not built overnight. We have to sow the seed of relationship and nourish it to gain pleasure. $ Relationships are always mutual (two-way) and should be balanced. Never take advantage of people and relationships, it’s not for granted. $ Good Understanding and Trust are the founding elements for a strong relationship. $ The value of any relationship is known only when its lost. Our best effort shoud be to maintain, nourish and strenghten the existing relationships while building new ones. $ Express your gratitude to people who care for you, before it’s late. “Relationships are built to last and not to be lost” – Naveen Lakkur image courtesy: dinarobison.com