How can you build relationships with people in Public Administration who work in different sectors?

Build relationships with people in Public Administration who work in different sectors is a difficult task if you do not enjoy to do so. The very simplest way of building relationship is as same as a cold call, kindly take help of LinkedIn to be prepared for the meeting.

Always be curious and be willing to explore diverse perspectives. Further one must try to be genuine and empathetic to establish a connection with a person in any field. Engage in some homework and background research so that you can reach out to persons from different sectors with the right questions which will also pique others’ interests. Always be polite while reaching out to anyone via LinkedIn or email or through any other means. Invest in building relationships and not just on extracting benefits for sustainable and durable outcomes ..

Collaborate on Projects...Collaborative projects can be an excellent way to solidify relationships. If you identify opportunities for joint initiatives, propose them and work together to achieve common goals.

Get involved with your local Chamber of Commerce/Business Council. Their networking, educational, and advocacy events are a great way to meet folks involved in all aspects of community building, from small to large businesses, to nonprofits, to the public works sector - and you can often participate in their events for low to no cost.

Being genuinely interested and invested in a relationship is the only way to make it last. This requires time, effort and patience, but might open up a plethora of unexpected possibilities. If you approach any relationship with some predefined expectations, it is, at best, a transactional relationship and cannot be lasting.

I would offer that finding common ground artificially through researching social media may come across as disingenuous Set time aside and invest in spending it with the person (eg business lunch, coffee). I would personally be much more in “receiving mode” in that context than if someone would just send me a note on social media

Even more than most, public administration officials and team members are inundated with cold calls & emails. Finding a person willing to help with an introduction is invaluable. LinkedIn connections tool is a great pathway to try to get an introduction.

I would offer that finding common ground artificially through researching social media may come across as disingenuous Set time aside and invest in spending it with the person (eg business lunch, coffee). I would personally be much more in “receiving mode” in that context than if someone would just send me a note on social media

One thing I found helpful is that follow-up in-person meetings are always preferred and then start with genuine curiosity about their work and achievements. Don't show up at the meeting without doing your research: look up their latest contribution (whether it's an op-ed, social media post, etc.)- it could be a good ice-breaker. Listen actively, but it's a two-way street, so share about yourself too. Establishing a personal connection goes a long way.

Building and nurturing connections in public affairs is crucial. This ensures that even as industry sectors evolve, we can leverage existing relationships across different sectors. Effective relationship maintenance eases engagement when stepping into unfamiliar business domains. Understanding cultural nuances and local knowledge is also key as it impacts how we navigate and sustain these connections.

Showing that their wins are your wins establish a sense of loyalty and trust. One can be competitive while maintaining some rules of engagement (eg do not professionally sabotage another person to get ahead of them)

Be sure to follow up with communications, set alerts or reminders for maintaining communication and respecting people’s time when making commitments for meetings, responding to emails and calls, etc.

You connect with people, and one needs to remember that sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. Often it's not because you did something wrong or right. It's just if you "clicked" or not. I find most helpful is to establish a human connection that goes beyond talking about your policy/topic of interest. Do not underestimate the value of a "small talk" when building your public affairs relationships.

From my experience as public service employee for over 13 years it becomes very clear that there are many individuals from various organizations who are working to solve sometimes very similar if not identical problem. Once you identify that problem and your role in it you need to build groups of experts around you with similar interests and goals. What you get to find out very early on through conversations and strategic discussions is that they all bring a specific perspective and expertise to the table that is extremely valuable. It is only through a collective collaboration that you get to approach the problem at hand from various perspective and various stakeholders involved.

We, at the Tunisian Public Policies Forum, actually created this CSO thanks to the solid relations we built (public and private sectors) during a coaching series. Since then, we've been organising activities (professional and leisure) that have kept us in a constant positive dynamic based on trust, broadened our networks, and strengthened our credentials to provide TA support at a high government level. We are intentionally blurring the "psychologically & operationally" set public-private boundaries, shifting them out of their usual "territories" towards a "As citizens, we're in this together" paradigm. Listening & understanding the other is key in our modus operandi & communication. It's slow, but evolving and appreciated.

En mí experiencia, mesas de trabajo intersectoriales, con las personas a cargo con un problema común, con una metodología ágil de trabajo, con objetivos y agenda acotada y acordada, permite un trabajo fluido y conducente a resultados. El problema común permite compromiso. Valorar el tiempo de los participantes y apuntar a el sentir común del grupo es clave, para poder conectar.

Be genuine and flexible: making valuable and meaningful connections may take some time. My advice would be to not sacrifice the process and the lessons it’ll offer you, because you’re focused solely or mainly on the result/outcome