One of the keys of a good leader is someone who cares for those around themselves, and who has relationships with others. You can tell a lot about a person by how they treat others. Networking and building relationships doesn’t necessarily come naturally, especially to women. So what is a person to do?
Here are 5 Tips for How to Build Relationships
- Eat Lunch with your Team, at least a couple days a week. There are few things that beat spending time with the people you work with, and breaking bread with them. Make the time.
- Make plenty of deposits. Even though I have to ask a lot of other teams, I make sure to help them out, any opportunity I get. That means doing them favors, and helping install systems that don’t belong to us. Sometimes it just means facilitating communication between teams.
- If your team plays Golf, or goes on outings, join them. I have found that even though I play absolutely lousy golf, it has given me a lot of quality time with a team I work with, and has significantly helped the relationship. That has probably done even more than anything else I could do.
- Get to know people individually. That means knowing the wife’s name, children’s names and ages, and person’s hobbies. If you bring in snacks for your department, it also means being alert to food allergies, and bringing something they can eat.
- Be Genuine. Let’s be honest here. Most people can spot a fake a mile away. They know if you’re trying to use them for something, and won’t tolerate it. Just stay true to yourself, and be Genuine, and Real.
By following these simple tips for building relationships, especially in the office, you will be able to get your job done easier and faster. You may also facilitate your career advancement significantly.
What about you? What do you do to foster and build relationships at work?
