How to Get On with Anyone

Setting the scene

Only connect

E M Forster

We are social beings. For most of us, our relationships are the most important part of our lives. More than wealth or status, relationships with others are what give us meaning and a sense of purpose. There is convincing evidence that ‘our relationships with other people matter, and matter more than anything else in the world’⁷. When our relationships are poor, we experience loneliness, distress and ill health. Good relationships are the basis for well-being and fulfilment.

But getting on well with other people at work and at home can be difficult – misunderstandings and conflicts arise, and we don’t get the results we want. Worse than that, we may get results that we definitely don’t want.

People ...