Building Bonds 

Nurturing and maintaining relationships, cultivating a wide network; connecting with others on a deeper rather than superficial level 

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People with this competence:  

• Cultivate and maintain extensive networks to exchange ideas and rally support;  

• Seek out relationships that are mutually beneficial;

• Build rapport and keep others in the loop;

• Make and maintain personal friendships among work associates;

• Respect and earn the trust of people at all levels and all departments of the organization;

• Respect and appreciate individual differences in perspective and background; and

• Can pick up the phone and call anyone in the organization, and know who to call to get answers or to slash through red tape or other obstacles.

 

People lacking this competency:  

• Have difficulty relating to higher management, direct reports, peers and colleagues;

• Fail to recognize or respond to the needs and concerns of others;

• Easily let go or sever relationships under difficult or heated circumstances;

• View the members of the organization as being in competition with each other; do not have the ability to be collaborative or even collegial;

• Are ineffective in getting answers or projects and tasks completed because there are limited people within the organization to whom they can turn

 

Development tips:  

• Analyze how your relationships with colleagues, direct reports and others in the organization impact your success;

• Ask for feedback on what blocks or hinders your effectiveness at building relationships;

• Meet informally (coffee, breakfast, lunch) with co-workers on a regular basis, and use this as an opportunity to learn more about their role in the organization and how you might help them;

• Offer to help your colleagues when they are facing work overload;

• Ask for their assistance or counsel when you need advice or support;

• Beware becoming too task-focused and detail-oriented; be sure to focus on people as well;

• Attend your organization’s events (holiday parties, summer picnics, award ceremonies, etc.);

• Develop relationships in your professional community by attending professional conferences and contacting key people in your industry; and

• Engage in community activities and connect with business leaders and elected officials. 

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“Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.” - Jane Howard

“You can make more friends in two months by becoming more interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get people interested in you.” - Dale Carnegie 

 

Great Resource:

Achieving Success Through Social Cap

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