Career Trajectory<\/h2>\n
I had a coaching client who went from Manager to Director to C-level in less than 5 years. He was competent, for sure. But he also had strong relationships at the C-level and I have no doubt it was those relationships (not amazing coaching) that blazed the trail for his fast-tracked rise in the organization.<\/p>\n
It works the other way as well. Perhaps you or someone you know lost a job (or opportunity) because of a strained relationship. In Jeffrey Pfeffer\u2019s book\u00a0Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don’t<\/em><\/a>, he\u2019s clear: \u201cThe lesson from cases of people both keeping and losing their jobs is that as long as you keep your boss or bosses happy, performance really does not matter that much and, by contrast, if you upset them, performance won\u2019t save you.\u201d<\/p>\n Whether we agree things should be this way or not misses the point. Spend enough time in the workplace and you\u2019ll see Pfeffer\u2019s findings ring true. Your relationship with your boss matters\u2014more than most people realize.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s more than just your boss. Strong relationships with co-workers create greater trust which means work gets done faster. That\u2019s the whole premise of Stephen M.R. Covey\u2019s book\u00a0The Speed of Trust<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0Good relationships with your team members help with engagement, retention, and just about every other measure that matters.<\/p>\n In the world of projects, the strength of relationships with stakeholders makes all the difference. They\u2019re more likely to show up for meetings, advocate for your project, and speak honestly about their concerns\u2026. if they like you, trust you, and respect you. And if they don\u2019t? Your odds of successfully delivering are significantly diminished.<\/p>\n But you know all of this already. Maybe the Pfeffer point is new and somewhat depressing, but you\u2019ve known for years that relationships matter, right?<\/p>\n After working with hundreds of executive coaching clients and speaking on the topic to audiences around the world, the biggest pushback isn\u2019t that people disagree with the point. The reality is they don\u2019t feel they have time to develop relationships.<\/p>\n Great idea\u2014don\u2019t have time to do it.<\/em><\/p>\n If you take nothing else away from this discussion, it\u2019s this:\u00a0you can\u2019t afford to\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0do it.<\/strong><\/p>\n In subsequent posts, I\u2019ll share more ideas to help you build relationships without demanding too much time. For now, share your thoughts in the comments section.\u00a0How have relationships helped you in your career?<\/em>\u00a0Let\u2019s keep the conversation going. After all, that\u2019s a great way to build relationships!<\/p>\n Andy Kaufman works with clients around the world to help them lead teams and deliver projects. He is the host of the acclaimed\u00a0<\/em>People and Projects Podcast\u00a0which provides interviews and insights to help people lead and deliver. Learn more at<\/em>http:\/\/PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com<\/em><\/a>\u00a0or listen on any podcast app. If you have an upcoming large group meeting, learn more about having Andy speak at\u00a0<\/em>http:\/\/i-leadonline.com\/keynotes<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n I was first introduced to Jeffrey Pfeffer’s work mentioned in this article when reading Eric Barker’s book Barking Up The Wrong Tree. You can hear Eric talk about this in more detail in episode 180 (<\/em>http:\/\/PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com\/180<\/em><\/a>).<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The dirty little secret of business is that everything comes down to relationships. If you\u2019ve been in the workplace long enough, you\u2019ve seen the power of relationships\u2014in your own career and those of your co-workers. Chances are you got a job because of a relationship. Or were trusted to lead a project. Or got promoted…. 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More Than Just With Your Boss<\/h2>\n
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Why Don’t We Do What We Know Is True?<\/h2>\n