Tomorrow (Sunday) morning, I will be on HOT 97FM with host, Lisa Evers, and others talking about money.
On Tuesday, I have one of the coolest speaking gigs to-date for a major insurance company.
On Wednesday, I’m hosting the first Financial Intimacy Hour segment of 2015.
Each of these are examples of the Relationship Economy at work in my life.
What are recent examples at work in yours?
Your examples and mine are reminders that not only is business done between people, but business comes through people.
It’s no mystery that you and I don’t achieve success on our efforts alone. After all, we know success is all about relationships.
The mystery is the fact that you rarely know who holds the key to what’s next for you – who will be that person to unlock the door that makes room for your next opportunity be it promotion, job, client or something else you desire!
It’s a mystery that some (maybe even you) don’t manage well. In part, because you’ve fallen for the myth. The myth that says the key to growth and advancement is “keep your head down” and work – and don’t forget to work hard, too. And so you do and you end up working harder on the work than you do on what leads to the work in the first place.
The other reason is that embracing the mystery feels a little bit like leaving too much to chance, which is totally counter to your nature to want to be in control.
And so…
Even though you may feel stagnant in your career or business, you either network ineffectively or with a “me-focused” mentality. Or, just as unfortunate, you only network when you need something – like a new job or new client.
You confuse having an extensive contact list or thousands of friends on Facebook or many followers on Twitter or 500+ connections on LinkedIn as having cultivated relationships with all these people.
You don’t recognize your emotional intelligence as the intangible currency that can help you connect to the human being beneath the persona we all have.
Yes, relationships have been the cornerstone of business since, well, forever. But in the new economy of the 21st century when even employees are a “brand,” relationship management skills aren’t a nice-to-have. They are required.
How well you manage the relationships in your life are your personal currency. Because…
…rarely are you in the room (or at the table) when important decisions about YOU are being made.
So when you don’t manage the mystery of relationships well, you miss out on the inside-scoop; you don’t have someone advocating for you over other options; and you potentially elongate your path to even greater success.
When you don’t manage the mystery of relationships, you end up sacrificing the very key to your success!
On the other hand, when you tap into the mystery of relationships:
- You realize that having a relationship-building strategy isn’t sleazy and manipulative. When done with a “win-win” intent, it’s smart.
- You learn how to genuinely build rapport and trust while being sensitive to other people’s boundaries AND without stretching yourself too thin.
- You realize that sometimes your best opportunities actually come through people who aren’t the closest to you. Ironic, right?
Relationship building is both art + science. It’s also a skill.
If you’d like to refine your relationship management skills…
If you’d like more success at work…
If you’d like to experience deeper personal connections at home (because what creates a great business life can also create a great personal life)…
I invite you to this month’s Financial Intimacy Hour this coming Wednesday, 25 February at 8pm ET. My guest, Michelle Y. Talbert, Esq. will share how to use curiosity, the art of conversation, and the skill of making connections to experience more success at work and more meaning at home.
Hope you can join us! Click here to register; it’s FREE.
p.s. if you can, tune into HOT 97FM at 9am on Sunday, February 22nd! Click here to stream the station from your computer.
