Relationships

Relationships are part of any group and can be described in terms of status, power, control, as well as role,

function, or viewpoint. Within a family, for example, the ties that bind you together may be common

experiences, collaborative efforts, and even pain and suffering. The birth process may forge a relationship

between mother and daughter, but it also may not. An adoption may transform a family. Relationships are

formed through communication interaction across time and often share a common history, values, and

beliefs about the world around us.

Groups and teams are an important part of any type of communication that happens at work.

In business, an idea may bring professionals together and they may even refer to the new product or

service as their “baby,” speaking in reverent tones about a project they have taken from the drawing board

and “birthed” into the real world. As in family communication, work groups or teams may have

challenges, rivalries, and even “birthing pains” as a product is developed, adjusted, adapted, and

transformed. Struggles are a part of relationships, both in families and business, and form a common

history of shared challenges overcome through effort and hard work.