Here’s how it’s done.
Thirty bucks every few weeks for the occasional lunch with a colleague to build and maintain relationships.
An hour a week, give or take, for coffee breaks, lunches, and impromptu chats in the hallway — time for you to offer help, ask for it, or socialize with people whose relationships you value.
Game Plan: Know what you want to accomplish now and down the road, so you can tie the work you do — and the alliances you forge — to those goals.
Allies: Find the people who will listen to your ideas and support your
ambitions. Remember: those with the power to help you may be peers or support staff.
Chits: Before you can ask your allies for favors, you first need to give them genuine support. What skills, insights, or information can you offer that will have real value to them?
Thick Skin: People may try to block your goals to advance their own. Don't take it personally. They're probably not out to get you — they're just out to save themselves.
Thirty bucks every few weeks for the occasional lunch with a colleague to build and maintain relationships.
An hour a week, give or take, for coffee breaks, lunches, and impromptu chats in the hallway — time for you to offer help, ask for it, or socialize with people whose relationships you value.
Game Plan: Know what you want to accomplish now and down the road, so you can tie the work you do — and the alliances you forge — to those goals.
Allies: Find the people who will listen to your ideas and support your
ambitions. Remember: those with the power to help you may be peers or support staff.
Chits: Before you can ask your allies for favors, you first need to give them genuine support. What skills, insights, or information can you offer that will have real value to them?
Thick Skin: People may try to block your goals to advance their own. Don't take it personally. They're probably not out to get you — they're just out to save themselves.