#8: Creating Rapport
rap·port[ra-pawr, -pohr, ruh-] noun.
Relation; connection, especially harmonious or sympathetic relation: e.g. a manager trying to establish close rapport with an employee*
Rapport
Rapport is our relationship in action or our sense of relatedness to other people. It is present in those relationships we’d describe as friendships but friendship does not always come as a result of a rapport with someone.
Rapportis based on features of sameness:
- Someone’s appearance
- The way a person speaks or the language they use (e.g. jargon)
- Values and beliefs
- Core purpose
Rapport is needed in management relationships as it provides a degree of comfort and trust between the two people which can get more out of a relationship.
- 1If rapport exists in a management relationship – you need do nothing. It exists and there’s nothing to do except notice if it starts to disappear
- 2If rapport does not exist in a management relationship – often, the best thing to do is simply to have the intention of rapport developing and look out for what might be the same about you and the other person. As you start to find sameness, you’ll find rapport developing naturally
For more information about rapport, you may want to have a look at this web page from the popular series of books.
Learning Bytes