In today’s digitally driven world, it’s easy to focus on performance, productivity, and metrics. And that includes within the Animal Health industry or the Veterinary profession.
On the other hand, it’s relatively easy to forget that at the core of every successful career or business is one simple truth:
Relationships matter.
More than your resume. More than your skill set. More than your LinkedIn endorsements. In the professional world, relationships are the foundation on which reputations are built, careers are accelerated, and deals are done. And yet, many people make the critical mistake of taking their professional relationships for granted . . . until it’s too late.
Whether you are a business leader, manager, a team member, or an entrepreneur, how you treat people and how consistently you invest in relationships can be the difference between career stagnation and long-term success.
Here is why you should never take professional relationships for granted, and how to intentionally nurture them for mutual growth and opportunity.
1. Relationships Are Your Real Network (Not Just Your LinkedIn Connections)
Your professional network is not just a list of contacts. It is a web of real relationships built upon trust, shared experience, and mutual respect.
It is tempting to believe that because you have someone’s business card or LinkedIn profile, you have a relationship. But unless you have nurtured that connection, checked in, added value, or simply stayed in touch, the relationship is no more than a name in your database.
You never know when a dormant connection could be the key to your next opportunity. But more importantly, you never want to be the person who only reaches out when they need something.
Tip: Make time regularly to check in on your network. Comment on their updates, send a quick message, congratulate them on milestones. Relationships are a living thing; they need care and attention to grow.
2. People Remember How You Made Them Feel
In every workplace, people will not always remember the exact project you led or the numbers you hit, but they will remember how you treated them.
Were you kind under pressure? Did you listen when they had something to say? Did you follow through on promises?
Professional relationships are not immune to human emotion. Respect, empathy, and basic decency go a long way. When you make people feel valued, seen, and supported, they will go the extra mile for you. But when you dismiss, ignore, or take advantage of them, they will quietly disengage. Or worse, actively advocate against you.
Respect is remembered long after results are forgotten.
3. The Professional World is Smaller Than You Think
No matter what your industry, your reputation follows you. People talk. Former colleagues become future clients. One-time vendors become potential partners. Employees become hiring managers.
When you take relationships for granted, you burn bridges that you might need later. But when you build strong, respectful connections, even in tough situations, you create a network of advocates who can open doors you did not even know existed.
Examples: A former intern you mentored might one day be in a position to hire you. A peer from a past job might recommend you for a high-profile project. These stories are common because the business world is often a full circle.
4. Engaged Relationships Create Better Collaboration
Teams that trust each other work better. Period.
When you nurture strong relationships inside your organization, you create an environment where:
- Feedback is more openly received.
- Miscommunications are more easily resolved.
- People willingly support one another.
- Innovation and creativity thrive.
But when relationships are neglected, tension simmers. Misunderstandings grow. Small issues become big problems. And collaboration suffers.
In other words: people will work with you if they believe you care. And they will work around you if they think you don’t.
5. Great Relationships Improve Retention and Loyalty
If you are a leader, manager, or business owner, here is a critical truth: People don’t stay for perks. They stay for people.
One of the top reasons employees leave is because they don’t feel connected to their leaders or teammates. When people feel like a number, they disengage. But when they feel like a valued member of a team—when they have meaningful relationships—they are far more likely to stay, even during hard times.
Don’t wait for exit interviews to realize that relationships are your most valuable retention tool.
6. Recognition and Gratitude Are Often Overlooked (Until It’s Too Late)
A simple thank-you can change someone’s day. A moment of public recognition can shift someone’s career.
Yet in the rush to hit deadlines and meet goals, it’s common to overlook the human effort behind the outcomes.
People want to be seen. They want their work to matter. When leaders or colleagues take that for granted and assume that people know they’re appreciated, morale suffers.
Build a habit of intentional gratitude. Celebrate wins. Acknowledge effort. Share praise openly and often. It costs nothing and pays enormous dividends in loyalty and motivation.
7. Assumptions Can Ruin Relationships
One of the most dangerous phrases in the professional world is: “They know I appreciate them.” Or worse: “They’re fine, we have a good relationship.”
Assuming someone is happy, engaged, or aligned with you just because there’s no visible conflict is a mistake. Relationships need regular check-ins, honest conversations, and continuous attention. People’s needs change. Dynamics shift. You can’t fix what you don’t talk about.
Tip: Schedule regular 1:1 conversations, not just to talk about work, but to talk about how people feel. Ask: How are we doing? What can I do better? What’s getting in your way?
8. The Strongest Professional Relationships Are Built on Mutuality
Too often, professional relationships become transactional: “What can you do for me?”
But the best relationships are built on mutual value. That means showing up for others without expecting immediate payback. It means making introductions, offering help, mentoring, and being generous because that’s who you are, not because it scores points.
In time, that generosity creates goodwill. And when you need help, advice, or support, people want to return the favor, because they remember how you showed up for them.
You don’t build strong relationships by keeping score. You build them by giving without keeping track.
9. Relationships Weather the Storms If You’ve Invested Early
When challenges hit—a tough client, a failed project, a budget cut—relationships are your safety net.
If you’ve invested in strong relationships, people will give you the benefit of the doubt. They’ll collaborate, forgive, and problem-solve with you.
But if you only start trying to build trust after things go wrong, it’s often too late.
Trust is built in the small moments, over time. Don’t wait for a crisis to realize who your allies are (or that you haven’t built any).
10. You Don’t Know What People Are Going Through
Everyone is fighting battles you can’t see. This is especially the case in the workplace.
When you take relationships for granted, you miss the chance to support someone when they need it most. A kind word, a thoughtful check-in, a little patience—these moments can profoundly impact a person’s experience at work and in life.
Being a great colleague or leader isn’t about fixing people’s problems. It’s about showing that you care enough to notice.
Empathy is not weakness. It’s leadership.
Relationships Are the Real Currency
In a world that’s increasingly automated and impersonal, your ability to build and maintain meaningful relationships is your competitive edge.
Don’t wait until someone leaves, until a deal falls through, or until a crisis hits to realize that you’ve taken people for granted.
Start now. Reconnect. Appreciate. Serve. Listen.
Because in the end, your greatest professional legacy won’t be the titles you held or the goals you hit. It will be the relationships you built and the lives you touched along the way!