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Nearly all of my media consumption is technology driven, but every Sunday morning I still read The New York Times the old-fashioned way. The paper is so big it can’t be contained in one day’s delivery; half of the paper arrives in my driveway Saturday morning, the rest on Sunday.
The signature blue plastic bag is dependably always outside waiting for me when I awake. It shone like a beacon atop piled high snow drifts this past winter, and it is easily detectable when it winds up amidst calf-high neglected grass in the summer.
Ritualistically, I spread the sections out across my dining room table, brew my coffee, program some Pandora channels on my iPad or pick the right playlist on my iPod, and prioritize first reads, what can wait, and the recycle pile (Sports).
It’s a very simplistic activity that brings me comfort, joy and knowledge, and yet it is completely dependent on a relationship with someone I’ve never met – the delivery person.
Meeting someone in person is no longer a qualifier of character, as many of us know with all the virtual relationships we manage. Direct eye contact or firm handshakes are not the ultimate tests of truth, reliability, dependability or commitment. It’s about demonstrated action, consistency and follow-through across any communication channel.
Here are some things to keep in mind as you strategically build your network, and also opt in as a connection for others:
- Not everyone in your network will be consistently reliable “go to” people, but you want to have enough of those dependable connections so you don’t exhaust the same few. You might ask that core group to become your informal board of advisors, and vow that you’ll do the same for them.
- You won’t be able to help everyone who reaches out to you, but never ignore a request. Either make a referral, an introduction, or, at the very least, acknowledge the inquiry with a promise that you’ll pass any new information their way.
- Rip up the mental scorecard. It becomes too hard to keep track of who did what for whom and a lot easier to just do for others what you are capable of doing.
- While you don’t necessarily have to meet people face-to-face to build strong relationships, occasionally pick up the phone so you can connect on another level and create greater intimacy. My NYT delivery person understands this when he takes our relationship off the sidewalk and sends me an annual holiday card. In response, I send him a monetary gift of appreciation.
© Copyright, 2011, ExecuNet. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
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About This Author:
Robyn Greenspan is the editor-in-chief at ExecuNet, the private membership that helps executives shift their careers and daily business lives forward. Robyn also brings daily insight to ExecuNet’s public blog, Executive Insider, which enables senior-level professionals to make better career, business and leadership decisions. Catch Robyn's contributions on the HuffingtonPost. And follow @ExecuNet on Twitter for information on executive market and hiring trends and follow @RobynGreenspan on Twitter.
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