Quality Assurance (Personal Relationships)

In schools, a system is in place to evaluate all other processes. This evaluation system can best be described as comprehensive, intensive and at times, even intrusive. Describe it in whatever way you want, but these processes are necessary to ensure that the school does all it can to better itself. School progress is viewed as being so critical that there is even a system to evaluate the system that evaluates Sometimes I wonder whether we actually spend more time evaluating our processes than we do going about our daily business. From an unscheduled meeting with a stakeholder to the construction of a facility -- everything is analyzed. And at the highest level of scrutiny, we question -- how could we have done this better? What is our approach? Does our approach meet its intended purposes? Has there been progress this past year, past two years, past three years?

Other organisations do not differ in their similar quest for excellence.

I have been chewing on this recently. If I were to apply this very rigor of evaluation in my personal life, would it lead to improved relationships? I wouldn’t say that I am unhappy with my relationships. But I do not think that I am satisfied with the progress that I have made in them. I don’t think I have considered whether I have a sound approach to building and maintaining my relationships with anyone. And it is only the less mature who think that this does not take some hard work, commitment and at times sacrifices.

I have decided that this will be my resolution for the upcoming year – to work on my relationships. I do not aim to be the best of friends with everybody, but it is my vision that my friendship with Person A simply must grow and that my presence in this person’s life adds increasing value to him or her.