Developing your career is about Making Things Happen in our own unique way, but do you know the people who will help you do that? There will always be key people in your business or your sector that are the key masters. If you run your own business, the keymaster could be the personal assistant of the potential customer that you really would like to have a meeting with. They have the potential to find a slot in the diary or completely block your enquiries. If you are employed, it could be the tech people who keep your computer running so you can achieve your workload. Imagine if you are the bottom of list when it comes to tech issues, your day will be completely unproductive. Here are my 3 top tips for getting to know the people who can help you to make things happen:
- Find the value in every person in your environment. And then make sure that you are in their good graces. The receptionists and the security guards are valuable people to get on side. If you run your own business, a coffee shop voucher for the personal assistant when you send the letter asking for a meeting with her boss is a good start.
- Know the ‘office master’ the person who knows the nitty gritty detail of how your environment works, they are the key to your success. Get on their good side by remembering the little things like what her favourite foods are or what she does in her spare time. Remember these people when you are in a position of power. They were good to you so remember to be good to them.
- Join the movers and shakers. If a name keeps coming up in conversation as a mover and shaker in your field, find out where the person networks or events that they attend and attend them too in order to get to know them and get the introductions you need.
Remember as Dale Carnegie said: You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you. Spend this week nurturing those relationships. Jenny Garrett is the Award Winning Coach and founder of Reflexion Associates, a leadership and coaching consultancy. She’s also the author of Rocking Your Role, a how-to guide to success for female breadwinners, Creator of the online coaching programme, the Happenista Project and co-founder of Rocking Ur Teens CIC