6 Things Dating Can Teach You About the Business World

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Dating can be exhausting and frustrating. This is especially true if you have limited luck when it comes to love. If you keep going on awkward or boring first and second dates only to find that the other person is not worth a third date, it can be tempting to simply throw in the towel and give up. There are, however, good reasons not to do that. For one, dating is the only way to find the person who will be worth all the trouble. For another, dating can actually be a great teacher.

You may have heard people say that dating and relationships teach good life lessons, but have you heard that the experiences you have in your love life can actually better your career? It sounds strange that your struggles in the dating world or your time in a relationship could have an impact on your work, but it is true. There are certain lessons that stick best when they are learned in an environment like a relationship, and those lessons are essential for professional success. Here are six things dating can teach you about the business world that you desperately need to know if you want to get ahead in your career.

The importance of good communication.

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Check just about any blog with dating advice or talk to any relationship guru and you are guaranteed to get a lecture on how important communication is in a relationship. In fact, your relationship is likely to be just as successful as your communications skills and no more. If you are a great communicator, meaning you are an excellent listener in addition to being able to explain your own ideas, your relationship has a good chance of lasting. If, on the other hand, you could not explain your way out of a cardboard box, your relationship is likely doomed.

Communication is just as essential in your career as it is in your relationship. Your boss is unlikely to be pleased with you if they have to constantly pester you for updates on projects, and your underlings will hate you if you cannot manage to shoot them an email explaining a policy change.

Working with different and difficult personalities.

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There are some people that you simply cannot stand. They are not mean to you. They are not mean to your family. They do not kick puppies, make children cry or drive slow in the fast lane. They are not bad people. They do, however, seem to exist for the sole purpose of driving you not just up the wall but onto the ceiling. If you are in a relationship or in the workplace, you will end up being trapped in close proximity to one of these people eventually. They might be your boyfriend’s little brother, the loud mouth in the cubical next to you, your girlfriend’s B.F.F. or your coworker in I.T. who has somehow become convinced that you are friends. You may want nothing more than to run screaming into the night when these people walk in the room, but you have to deal with them nonetheless. Relationships form great practice grounds for dealing with these people. You are unlikely to have to spend endless time with your significant other’s infuriating sibling so it is best to get used to handling it in small doses before you have to deal with a coworker who gets under your skin.

Dealing with disappointment.

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In both dating and business, you are going to deal with disappointment. You will not get the job you interviewed for or you will be passed over for a promotion. The man or woman you went on a date with and think is gorgeous will not call you back for a second date. The disappointment is unpleasant, but it is inevitable that it will happen at some point. The question is how you deal with it. Do you become morose and refuse to ever date again because you did not get a second date with a highly attractive person? Do you become bitter toward your coworker who got the promotion you wanted? Disappointment is not something you can necessarily control or prevent, but you do get to decide if you handle it with grace and dignity or if you turn into a spoiled child whining because they did not get their way.

Mastering small talk.

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There is a reason introverts loathe first dates, and many people find them awkward or frustrating. First dates almost inevitably involve a lot of small talk, and there is only so long you can spend quizzing each other on basic interests and what each person does for a living. Unfortunately, if you are going to master the dating arena, you need to be good at making small talk and turning that small talk into at least marginally more meaningful and interesting conversations. This skill is also an extremely valuable one in the business world. Networking is essential in today’s world, and someone who is good at keeping small talk interesting is going to be better equipped to handle networking events. After all, networking often starts out dealing with people you know nothing about, and they are unlikely to remember you and want to help you if you do nothing but talk about the weather.

The little things matter.

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It is not uncommon for someone to be told not to sweat the small stuff. This, however, is terrible advice when it comes to a relationship. The big picture issues, such as matching values and mutual trust, are more important, but no relationship is going to last if you cannot be bothered to remember the little things and continue to make your significant other twitch with the small habits you have that drive them absolutely nuts. The same is true in the business world. Checking the boxes for big issues such as ethical behavior and being able to do your basic job are the most important things. Who gets a promotion, however, can come down to the little things. What is your attitude like? Do you complain or do you make your coworkers smile? Are you polished and professional when you speak or do you use “like” every three words? Do you have a good handshake or is your hand a limp fish? They may not be big issues in the grand scheme of things, but they can make the difference between you getting a promotion or your coworker getting it instead.

Being polite even when you do not want to be.

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Everyone has been in a situation where they are trapped talking to someone who is boring them to tears but they cannot find a reasonable excuse to leave. This happens in both the dating and business world. You might not find out that your date is a complete narcissist until after you have already ordered dinner or you might be halfway through a movie when you discover that your date is a habitual liar. When those things happen, you sometimes have no choice but to tough it out and deal with it. Other times, you can make a polite excuse and leave. Both of these are valuable, if unpleasant, skills to have in the workplace. You are at some point going to be stuck sitting in a meeting that is a total waste of time. When that happens, you cannot look bored. You need to look attentive and interested even if the boss is putting you to sleep. Other times, you might need to politely extract yourself from a conversation with a board member because you just meant to say hello as you grabbed a cup of coffee not take a 20 minute break. In both cases, the ability to be polite when all you want to do is be rude is invaluable.