This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "Thou Shall Prosper" by Rabbi Daniel Lapin. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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Why are professional relationships important? How do you build connections to improve business?
In Thou Shall Prosper, Daniel Lapin advises recognizing that other people can be invaluable resources in your business pursuits. He notes that traditional Jewish beliefs can help you develop successful business relationships.
Let’s look at how to build professional relationships, according to Lapin.
Embrace Community
The first thing to do when learning how to build professional relationships is to separate your personal and professional lives. It may be tempting to keep your friends and family apart from your business. However, Lapin says that your closest personal connections can be your strongest source of inspiration. Jewish wisdom teaches that your work will only succeed if you have the approval of your friends or family; their support will give you the motivation and passion you need to be successful.
(Shortform note: In Jewish tradition, strong connections are both supportive and challenging. Jews believe that a major part of any good relationship is debating and pushing each other to learn and improve. Therefore, the support of your friends and family is helpful for more than just motivation: They can also discuss and debate your business decisions with you, helping you to find potential weaknesses in your business practices. The Jewish penchant for arguing gave rise to the humorous saying “two Jews, three opinions,” which suggests that a single Jew might hold multiple, conflicting opinions about a single topic.)
Lapin adds that developing strong bonds with your coworkers will also motivate you to succeed in your work. Just like close friends and family would, you and your coworkers can provide each other with support, encouragement, and reminders about why you’re all passionate about your work.
(Shortform note: Modern research arguably supports Lapin’s assertion that businesses do better when they encourage strong bonds between coworkers. This is because close friends tend to communicate well, which helps them to do their work more effectively. They also keep each other motivated. However, don’t just try to develop strong bonds with people at your own level on the corporate ladder; healthy relationships between company leadership and employees also improve business outcomes. Some studies have found that employees who feel valued by their bosses are more engaged with their work, happier, and more productive than those who simply feel like cogs in a machine. As a result, the companies they work for see increased profits and higher customer satisfaction.)
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- The "Ten Commandments" of making money from an Orthodox Jewish Rabbi
- Economic lessons and business advice blended with traditional Jewish wisdom
- How earning money can be a spiritual pursuit
