Making an effort to reach out

One of my clients told me about a person in their company that they work with. "When the phone rings and I see their name on my phone, I cringe. I know it won't be a pleasant conversation!"

I spend a lot of time coaching about the importance of investing in and nurturing your network. It is no surprise that the above calls from that individual elicit such a reaction. without knowing them I knew that they never reach out to touch base, to update, to build the relationship. And therefore, when they do call, it is because there is a burning issue, a crisis.

One of the most critical things we can do as leaders is to nurture our network. It is so true that "it is not what you know, it is who you know." In order to achieve anything, we rely on others. The extent to which we are able to do that depends on the relationships we build. When we need help, its too late to do that.

Take the time to reach out and keep key stakeholders informed. Work on relationships. Schedule this like you schedule anything else. I would tell my managers that you never want someone to think of you as the kind of person who only calls when they need something, when there is an emergency. That is no relationship.

Invest in your relationships. It will pay off in spades.