In the business world, relationships are an integral part of success or failure. Most people don’t know that when Thomas Edison’s laboratory and factory burned down, he was 67 years old and carried no insurance. Before the ashes were cold, Henry Ford handed Edison a check for $750,000 with the words “no interest” written on it. He also included a note saying that if Edison needed more, he would have it.

Many people were surprised by Ford’s generosity, but one reason he gave Edison the money probably went back to an incident that took place many years earlier. Edison was working on an electric car and had built batteries that made it viable to a point. He heard that a young man named Henry Ford was working on a gasoline engine, so he went to see him and asked him many questions. Ford answered those questions thoroughly and carefully. At the end of the interview, Edison said to Ford, “Young man, I think you’re on to something. I encourage you to continue in your pursuits.” Later, Ford said that these words of encouragement from the most highly respected inventor in the United States meant a great deal to him. He obviously continued in his pursuits.

Business relationships play a major role in the security and productivity of every individual involved, as well as the growth and success of the company. I’m fascinated with the research done by Bell Laboratories, a high-tech company. These figures do not hold true for all companies, but the concept is true.

Bell Laboratories discovered that out of every 100 employees in a typical organization, approximately 5 of them are misplaced. They’re hard-working, intelligent, and cooperative, but for some reason they simply do not fit into the culture or the company mission. Of the remaining 95, approximately 88 are good, solid employees - honest, productive, dependable, loyal, and so on. The remaining 7 are superstars who are far more productive than the 88 good, solid workers on the payroll. Actually, they are eight times as productive, which is an incredible figure. Their value is dramatically higher because they not only know and love their jobs but also are constantly “on the grow.”

These seven superstar employees are team players and are a team building, unifying force, which increases company production tremendously. They get along well with other employees, have bought into the company’s mission, and are excited about what they do. Their value comes from the fact that they make an honest effort to know and understand the roles that others play in the company. These superstars take advantage of break time, lunchtime, and the early morning hours, as well as a few minutes after work, to acquire information and cement relationships with people above and around them, developing team spirit.

These superstars also make it a point to be available when someone comes to them seeking information or inquiring about techniques or procedures at which they excel. They patiently and cheerfully share information and, in the process, make the company more productive. As a result, the people they teach make more progress, qualify for promotions and raises, and enjoy a better reputation within the company. You truly can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.