Steps to build relationships

• Have you identified who you need to work with more productively?
• Are you clear about why it is worth your while?
• Will you set aside time regularly, seeing it as an investment?
• Have you identified the 5 key features you want in these relationships?
• Can you see important colleagues as customers?
• What does that imply about how you should relate to them?
• How can you obtain a better understanding of their needs?
• How can you help them meet their needs and also meet yours?
• What's in it for them? Are you assuming you know?
• What positive feedback can you give them on anything they are doing?
• What work initiatives could you build a partnership around?
• What other people might be involved to improve the partnership?
• If you have disagreements, how would you find common ground to build on?
• If there are characteristics in your contacts that irritate you, can you still build a relationship based on their positive qualities?
• How can you keep the momentum going once you start the new relationship?