Improve your relationships as a Project Manager

You are not alone. As a project manager, you need to work through people, so you need to grow your relationships step by step. Establishing and creating relationships is like planting seeds in a garden. But what is necessary for your plants to grow up? You need to feed them, add water, fertilize and place where they receive some Sun. Then it happens the same with your relationships, the point is not only to establish them, you need to maintain and sustain them through periodical contact.

You need to understand the chemical substance that helps you get a positive reaction among people. You can attract people; your charismatic skills are there, but you need to wake them up, perhaps to improve them. In “The Complete Project Manager” book (Englund & Bucero, 2014) suggest some best practices about enhancing your charisma and your personal and professional influence skills. For instance, if you want to influence somebody, help him or her to achieve one of their objectives. That way, your relationships will grow up more and more. In this chapter I will be sharing with you some aspects to be considered to increase and get your relationships growing up, but you are responsible to get it done; it is up to you to dedicate time and effort to follow through the steps I am proposing you.

Caring for your contacts

? Ever notice how moving forward in your career comes down to networking? Eighty percent of job openings are never publicly advertised, according to a?2013?Wall Street Journal?article . That makes all those business cards you have collected and the “LinkedIn connections” you have made extremely important. In 2018 if you are not present on social media, you do not exist. However, the tricky part is keeping in touch with your network of former colleagues and clients so you don’t come off as self-serving or stalker-like.

Part of it means maintaining some level of regular contact, so you’re never in a position where it’s been years since you’ve connected, and suddenly, in the middle of a job hunt, you have to send a sheepish “remember me?” email. The rest is all about reaching out appropriately, depending on your relationship with your contact, so you can strengthen your connections and tap them for help when needed. Let these tips show you how to distinguish between authentic and opportunistic.

I proposed some best practices:

1.???Reach out on social media:

Finally, a legit reason to spend time on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram during the workday: These and other social media sites allow you to get your name in front of old and new connections in an unobtrusive way. As you scroll through your feed, keep an eye out for profile updates or posts from your contacts that announce a promotion, new company direction, or a career milestone. Craft a concise post congratulating them on their achievement, along with, “So excited for you” or “Way to go!” At a loss for words? Just hit the “like” button.

Cheering on your contacts on social media lets them know you stand behind them,” says Dorie Clark, marketing strategy consultant and author of?Stand Out Networking: A Simple and Authentic Way to Meet People on Your Own Terms . Yet you’re not asking them for anything in return, and there’s no expectation of a reply. They see your name, and that puts you on their radar. Their contacts’ll also notice you, and that recognition can pay off down the road.

2.????Schedule regular check-ins

For closer contacts, like a former mentor or key client you’ve worked with many times, don’t wait for them to post something online; some people don’t participate in social media that way. Instead, take the initiative by sending them a regular email or message, say, every 60 days or once per quarter, suggests Clark. The note doesn’t have to be anything more than, “How’s it going?” or an “I saw this article and thought of you” message with a link to an industry publication. The goal is to check in and get your name on their screen in a friendly, casual way.

And though it sounds a little impersonal, make it even easier to check in by using an app like?“Contactually ?or?Refer.com Both track your contacts and prompt you to reach out based on time intervals you set. Refer.com even drafts the text of the message for you based on your relationship level with that person, so you don’t waste time searching for the right words.

3.???Plan small get-togethers

Arranging for a face-to-face catch-up with each contact individually is an impractical time-suck. The solution: Set up small gatherings for a handful of people whom all know each other. This way, your crew of former coworkers from a past workplace, for example, can get together for a lunch or happy-hour outing. The group get-together works for a few reasons. First, it saves everyone time and energy. Second, you avoid the discomfort that sometimes happens when you are sitting across the table with one contact you have not seen in a while . . . and no longer have much to talk about. A good practice is to take a new initiative or project inviting some volunteers to participate. I usually do that activity in my PMI local Chapter. That way, I can meet members from your professional association that you never met before.

4.???Show your gratitude

Arranging for a face-to-face catch-up with each contact individually is an impractical time suck. If one of your contacts taught you a valuable career lesson or helped you resolve a tricky issue, show your appreciation by sending them a note. Handwritten always comes off as more personal and meaningful. But in today’s digitally connected world, an email or social media post can also be appropriate.

Do not worry if they did their good deed a while ago; there’s no expiration date for praise. “I think people appreciate follow-up and kudos whenever they come, even if it’s months after the fact,” says Clark. “You could write something like, ‘Thanks so much to @Tommith for the great advice on blogging a few months ago. Here’s my first post!’ He will likely be thrilled.”

If someone went above and beyond, say they helped you land a new job or client, consider sending a virtual gift–such as a book on their favorite subject–recommends?Derek Coburn , author of?Networking Is Not Working: Stop Collecting Business Cards and Start Making Meaningful Connections ?and CEO of Cadre, a community for business leaders. Just don’t wrap up something with your company logo on it. “That’s not a gift–it’s a promotional item,” says Coburn. “Give them something small, something they can use. It’s a way to acknowledge them and say thank you.”

5.???Share your talent

Offering to do a business-related favor—for example, arranging an email introduction with an industry leader you know or posting a Facebook link to a contact’s latest podcast—conveys generosity.” Most people tend to wait to the network until they need something rather than reaching out authentically and genuinely,” says Coburn. “Instead, take the initiative and offer to help.”

Get the ball rolling by asking, “Tell me, who is your ideal client? I may know some people you should meet,” suggests Coburn. Or, “What kind of investors are you looking to get on board? I want more clarity if I come across an opportunity for you.” Offering an assist will give you a rep as someone who is positive and wants others to thrive.

6.???Always update your contact list

Please don't wrap up something with your company logo on it. “That is not a gift–it is a promotional item.” People get promoted, marry, move away and switch specialties all the time. Keep up with all the shifts by creating a Google doc or spreadsheet that lists all your contacts by name and includes what they do and how you met–and update it every time something changes. By the same token, make sure any page or site that lists your professional details–your job title, company name, and contact information–also reflects your current responsibilities, so people can easily reach you and get a real sense of what you have done in your career and currently do.

?7.???Give them space

Staying close to business contacts means knowing when to back off. “If a colleague is overwhelmed, it’s a nice gesture to periodically send them an email or leave a voice message and add, ‘No need to respond.’” “This shows much respect for their schedule because they may be too busy to get back to you and likely feel guilty about it. It frees them up and lets them know you want to check in and show that you care.”

But what if you have repeatedly reached out and continue to hear crickets? Only follow up again if you have a good reason. “People are busy, so it would be foolish to write someone off if you did not hear back from them once or twice,” “They could be traveling or having personal issues that make it difficult to respond.”

At the same time, you have to accept that you might have been dumped from their network. “If they ignore three messages sent over some time, especially if you have particular questions in your notes, then you can assume they do not want to keep up with you.” Do not sweat it–move on.

TODAY IS A GOOAY to start, and then TOMORROW WILL BE BETTER!

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