When wanting to establish relationships, professional or personal, remind yourself that being an effective communication partner means initiating conversations with open ended questions and receiving thoughts and responses with openness and interest. When others feel listened to, trust can begin. If you approach communication opportunities from the perspective, "What's in it for me", you become a "communication blocker". Generally, people can sense this type of agenda and often will not be willing to put their time, effort and energy into establishing a relationship.