*Peter (1977) a finance controller, met a businesswoman named Evelyn (1979). They hit it off and were on the verge of starting a relationship, but then she decided to break it off. When she called me, crying, I knew it was serious. So I talked to them separately to try and understand what the problem was. Peter said he likes how genuine she is, but that her opinions can be very strong sometimes.
During our long chat, Evelyn said, “Rachael, I should have talked to you first before I broke off with him. You are right, I have been learning a lot. At work, I know how to manage staff, but I am terrible at dating.” I asked, “Do you mean that you are successful at work, and accept the fact that you can’t manage the relationship as well as he can?” Not every dating experience will lead to a fairy tale ending, but they do offer a growing experience. I have found that the more successful we are at work, the more fearful we become of failing at a relationship. Dating is not that hard. The greatest obstacle is our own expectations. A lady who runs three businesses said, “I only discovered this in the last 2-3 years. To keep good staff, we have to treat them like boyfriends.” I hope this video on empathy can help to inspire you.
