Too busy for relationships?

• Are you, like so many managers, driven by urgencies, rather than by your own personal strategic plan or vision?
• Can you make time to set priorities that are aligned to your vision?
• To achieve your personal vision, how important are other people?
• Are they important enough to motivate you to set time aside on a regular basis to build better relationships with them?
• First decide who to invest your time in. Who, internally or externally, are the most important people relative to your personal vision?
• These might include your boss, colleagues whose support you need, key internal suppliers, powerful high fliers, other strategic partners.
• What business occasions can you create to get closer to these key people?
• The best approach is to show interest in what they are doing.
• As your customers, how can you help them meet their needs?
• What key projects are they engaged in that you can support?
• Building these relationships is really just a matter of working more closely with people who can help you gain your personal objectives.
• Can you afford not to make time for such an important activity?