Rules of thumb [Essay]

Over the years, I have been asked many times by students, employees, and peers at management meetings, as to what approaches to my assignments during my career as an engineer and as a manager served me best. While I would always take time to think about the question, the answer was almost always the same, whether one follows a technical career or a career in management¿"There are four words that can help you build strong relationships, if you use them to build your daily work approach around. You could even call them \´Rules of thumb for careers\´." The usual reactions were, "Sure," "Right," or for those who insist on being literal, "What four words could do that?" At that point I would suggest that everyone get comfortable and allow me to provide some insight into the topic.