THE ART OF RELATIONSHIP
potentially add to your life, take the risk! Push away those negative thoughts and jump in with both feet! Call, email, or just walk up to this person, reach out your hand, and introduce yourself. You have nothing to lose here but much to gain. Just remember, you should be able to add value to their life in some way as well; this is mutual. Simply put, just start the conversation. As this happens, you automatically enter into the next level of relationship.
3. Acquaintances
The word acquaintance literally means “a person’s knowledge or experi- ence of something, or one’s slight knowledge of or friendship with someone.” This level is strictly surface knowledge and based on experience with them. You may have had coffee or lunch with someone. You do not really know this person. You only know some things about them.
An acquaintance is not someone I would place a significant amount of trust in at this point. You have crossed the threshold of relationship and broken the ice. You now know of each other and may slightly know about their background and current life, but unless you are an expert at interrogation, you really only have a small chance of knowing if this person has misrepresented themselves or if they are genuine. You are not even sure if they are really interested in you, or you them! If you are going to pursue a deeper connection (business or personal), then the next level is critical in helping you decide how far the relationship will go.
4. Testing
Usually to get to this level means you have common ground with them or you will mutually benefit from the relationship. This is the level that probably takes the most time, attention, emotional investment, and care. The goal of this level is to get to know them, which takes time spent talking, working, and testing.
As you interact, you will notice clues and cues that will either raise a red flag or encourage you to spend more time getting to know them. No set amount of time works as a formula in this level. How long this takes is up to you and the object of your newly forming friendship.
My advice is to turn up the heat slowly. You need to move at a pace that the other person is comfortable with. And the other person needs to be open to it. There has to be a desire by both parties to continue the pursuit of friendship. It will not work otherwise. This is why paying attention to cues is imperative. Some of these cues are a lack of reciprocal communication, a glance away when you walk past them, or stopping a conversation with someone when you walk up. There have been many times in my life where I have been complacent, unaware