Fostering the formation of positive relationships in organizations is a topic that has been well examined. One of the most important findings associated with this research, however, is the explanation for why positive relationships produce desirable outcomes. What has actually been found is that what people give to a relationship, rather than what they receive from a relationship, accounts for the positive effects.
It is commonly understood that positive relationships are satisfying and preferred by people, but the benefits extend well beyond just providing a pleasant experience. Positive social relationships— the uplifting connections associated with individuals’ interpersonal interactions— have beneficial effects on a variety of aspects of human behavior and health.
Increases in oxytocin cause people to seek social contact with others (Taylor, 2002), so that a virtuous cycle of positive social interactions is created. People who experience positive relationships (as opposed to ambivalent or negative relationships) experience lower blood pressure, systolic heart rate, and diastolic heart rate (Holt-Lunstad, et al., 2003). When encountering stressful events, people’s cardiovascular systems worked less hard (as evidenced by lower heart rates and blood pressure) when they were in positive relationships or felt social support at work.
In addition to the physiological effects of positive relationships, a variety of psychological, emotional, and organizational benefits have also been uncovered in research.
Positive Energy Networks
Research has discovered that individuals can be identified as “positive energizers” or “negative energizers,” and that the difference has important implications. Positive energizers create and support vitality in others. They uplift and boost people. Interacting with positive energizers leaves others feeling elevated and motivated. Positive energizers have been found to be optimistic, heedful, trustworthy, and unselfish. Interacting with them builds energy in people and is an inspiring experience.
In contrast, negative energizers deplete the good feelings and enthusiasm of others. They sap strength from and weaken people. They leave others feeling exhausted and diminished. Negative energizers have been found to be critical, inflexible, selfish, and undependable.
Most importantly, positive energizing is a learned behavior. It is not a personality attribute, inherent charisma or physical attractiveness. Positive energy is not a matter of merely being gregarious or outgoing. People learn how to become positive energizers. It is not an inherent attribute.
Positive energizers benefit their organizations not only by performing better themselves but also by enabling others to perform better. For example, in studies of network maps in organizations comparing people’s position in information networks (i.e., who obtains information from whom), influence networks (i.e., who influences whom), and positive-energy networks (i.e., who energizes whom) revealed that a person’s position in the energy network is far more predictive of success than her or his position in information or influence networks (Baker, 2004). Being a positive energizer made individuals four times more likely to succeed than being at the center of an information or influence network.
Sources: Kim Cameron: Positive Leadership: Strategies for Extraordinary Performance