What are the most effective ways to build professional relationships?

I personally believe having relationships is one of the key assets in life and one should work on developing them. It is critical to define what kind of relationships you want to develop and for what reason. In my experience, some people build very transactional relationships just to get something done and this seems to me very cheesy and not sustainable. I would rather try to build relationships that are sustainable and based on a long-term view. In the middle east culture in specific, it is too hard to separate personal from professional relationships and thus, I recommend to have the connected view in mind, while definitely keeping the professional angle clear.

Relationship management is still one of the most important and complex tasks that requires personal touch, which AI simply cannot provide. Knowing your goals in any relationship is crucial, but it is the ability to adapt and shift to new goals that often proves challenging. Just imagine, someone who used to work under you becomes your boss, or a colleague at work becomes your spouse. Or what if your boss retires and you no longer need to communicate with them? These are all scenarios that call for a high level of emotional intelligence and adaptability, things that AI still cannot replicate.

Understanding your goals in professional relationship building is like having a roadmap to success. With clear objectives, you know exactly where you want to go and can find the right people to join you on your journey. This makes your connections more straightforward and beneficial. Instead of wandering aimlessly in the professional world, trying to connect with anyone and everyone, you directly seek those who can help you grow and whom you can help in return. It adds a layer of sincerity to your relationships, ensuring that each connection is genuine, purposeful, and reciprocally beneficial, fostering a network that is not merely broad but also deeply rooted in shared value and mutual growth.

In my workplace, knowing your goals is the key to success. We understood that before reaching out to potential contacts, having a clear purpose was essential. Whether it was finding a mentor, expanding our network, or sharing expertise, clarity in our goals guided our interactions and fostered meaningful professional relationships. It was a simple yet powerful principle that shaped our workplace culture.

If you own a business, then building professional networks is so important. These networks may help you find new clients, but building relationships with others with whom you can collaborate is more important. When working as a sole trader, you can be very isolated. The network you build within your local business community through networking events or your online network on LinkedIn allows you to share experiences and ideas. The support you give and receive from others can help your business grow and help you to be part of a team.

Being curious and respectful goes a long way in building strong professional relationships. Simply showing genuine interest and caring about others' work and goals makes connections more meaningful and fruitful. Asking questions and really listening to the answers shows that you value the other person’s expertise and experience. At the same time, respecting boundaries and valuing their time demonstrates that you honor them as professionals. These two principles - curiosity and respect - are like the two wheels of a bicycle that keep the journey of professional relationship building smooth and enjoyable, helping to create a network that’s not only wide but also deep and reliable, supporting everyone involved.

In my workplace experience, being curious and respectful was the golden rule. We understood that showing genuine interest in others, asking thoughtful questions, and listening without judgment built strong rapport and trust. We valued each other's time, boundaries, and perspectives, fostering a culture of professionalism and mutual support. It was a simple principle that made a big difference in our workplace interactions.

During my work with leaders, I saw that listening with a curiosity of a child without judgement improves the professional relationship between the team leader and the employee. This is valid between peers as well. This is especially important when the team leader thinks she "knows" what should be done and under the influence of "being in control" and she likes to "direct" instead of "ask"... When this happens the employee does not feel the task of his own, shows little accountability and feels disconnected and disengaged. I am impressed to see the development of leaders who move from "directing" to "asking" while they lead, this opens a whole new dimension in the team as well. Eventually this helps professional relationships blossom.

Be curious about people as well. Without being nosy or pushy, ask questions about a person's journey. Don't ask, "How did you become a V.P.?" Ask about tipping points. Be curious about things they've learned from failure. Ask about obstacles they have overcome. Genuine interest in people builds and strengthens relationships. And here's a tip. Don't one-up their stories. Genuine curiosity about someone expresses respect. We like people who like us.

One of the best ways to build rapport and trust with someone is to show genuine interest in their work, their goals, and their challenges. Ask open-ended questions, listen actively, and acknowledge their perspectives. Avoid making assumptions, judgments, or criticisms. Respect their time, their privacy, and their boundaries. Be polite, courteous, and professional. Remember that you are not only seeking to gain something from them, but also to offer something in return."

For any professional relationship to sustain, one has always to provide value to the other party by offering help, advice, connections and so forth. These are the real testaments for value adding in professional relationships. I believe that there are critical stages in the life of every person and definitely in his/her career. If you are genuine, you should reach out to others in your network when they really need support and offer that support without being asked for it. I believe this is the real value you can add to the person and the person will never forget, simply because you helped him/her when they needed this help the most and when there was no return for what you did.

Offering help and sharing thoughts are key to building strong work relationships! When you help your coworkers and tell them how they're doing, it shows you’re paying attention and you care. Being helpful can mean sharing tips, giving a friendly shout-out, or pointing them towards good opportunities. Sharing thoughts should be kind and helpful, even if it's pointing out something that went wrong. It shows you want them to do well and get better. These little things make a big difference in making connections that are supportive and last a long time.

I've always believed in giving back way more than you receive or are expected and leaving people better than you found them. When the opportunity arises (or you create opportunities) to give (time, attention, money, love, support, kindness, or anything) and you can do it when no one is watching, all the better! That's added value and anyone can do it.

In our workplace, providing value and feedback was a cornerstone of our relationships. We believed in offering assistance, advice, and constructive feedback to help each other succeed. This culture of support and appreciation strengthened our bonds and facilitated personal and professional growth.

The five-minute favor is the easiest way to provide value to your professional relationships. It can be as simple as making an introduction, sharing a post on social media, or writing a review. Anything that takes less than five minutes to complete. Don’t be afraid to ask the question “how can I help you” and commit to helping the person.

People go through different stages in their career. You can work with someone as a colleague and later on he/she becomes a client and then maybe he/she becomes an investor and maybe few years later he/she would come to work for you. I believe one has to be mature in understanding the changes taking place and adapting to each phase with its roles and responsibilities, while keeping the sincerity in the relationship. This is what builds very long and sustainable professional relationships.

In my workplace, we understood the importance of adapting to different career stages. We recognized that as our careers evolved, our professional relationships needed to evolve too. During the exploration stage, we sought out contacts who could introduce us to diverse opportunities. In the advancement stage, our focus shifted to connecting with potential sponsors who could help us progress in our careers. This flexibility in our approach ensured our relationships were always aligned with our current goals and aspirations.

This is great, but consider the value of coaches and mentors across all areas of your career. People sometimes think they are too junior for a leadership coach or too senior for a mentor; however, it goes back to the initial goal. Also, you can have multiple coaches, mentors and sponsors depending on the value you bring and what they give to your development.

All your relationships should be on 3 levels: 1 - up to a mentor or guide from whom you learn 2 - across to peers whom you help and support 3 - down to juniors whom you teach and develop Make sure you have a balance of all three.

For me I always use the Miller-Heimann strategic selling scope.. no the complex sale. Depends on what entry point you have, but you have to develop the relationshop up. Also if your product/solutions is more like a one sale, or a constant sale, then you have to make your way through the decision makers, the finance persons and the technical part. All have to get something out of this offering you have. Some will go earlier home, some will make their own goals, some will get the bonus, some the higher position. Help them achieve that. And remember "its all about people"... always.

In my experience, maintaining professional relationships is very important for them to yield value. So one has to stay in touch with his/her network. Periodic get in touch or catching up definitely helps. With tools like LinkedIn, it is much easier to connect with your professional network, check on people and connect with them very efficiently. But also one has to always think about how best to connect and what is the added value of connecting. Connecting needs to become a habit for birthdays or promotions or for sharing news or sharing pieces of knowledge and this gets to leave a lasting impression within your professional network especially when there is no direct gain in return. This is how genuine relationships get built over years.

I agree. People do business with people they like, know, and trust. Relationship building takes time. It is not a one-time event. This is why nurturing relationships is important. It is important to establish a cadence for regular touchpoints to share updates and remain top of mind. I have a Calendly entry just for Virtual Coffee meetings to connect with people in my network.

Throughout my career, all the core professional relationships I have shared have been built on the bedrock of genuine friendship and connection. We all have our aspirations, personal goals and responsibilities at the workplace, but I have always found that friendship is the thread that binds many of us together - across teams and functions. The likelihood of keeping in touch with your colleagues who are friends also means that you stay in touch beyond your workplace when one progresses in their respective careers, job changes, etc. Friendship, like any relationship, is always a two-way street and needs to be cultivated with continuous respect, support, empathy, and effort.

No successful "playbook" exists to maintain and nurture relationships. We can rely on Soft skills as enablers for human interactions and instrumental to any relationships. Few Tips to maintain professional relationships: 1. Your actions and advice make an impact. Make the other person/team feel you can help them to achieve their targets and be successful. 2. Your questions help to uncover challenges and areas of collaboration. Proactive listening makes a difference. 3. Empathy is your ability to understand the other person's view ("walk in their shows") and create confidence to share and engage. Sometimes, we can be more proactive in showing empathy when we notice the person needs it. 4. Trust between people requires ongoing maintenance.

In my workplace, we understood that building professional relationships was an ongoing effort. We knew the importance of maintaining and nurturing these connections. Whether it was through emails, phone calls, social media, or face-to-face meetings, we stayed in touch and showed our appreciation consistently. We also sought opportunities to deepen our relationships, like collaborating on projects or participating in mentoring programs. Our commitment to being authentic and relevant ensured that our professional bonds remained strong and beneficial over time.

In our workplace, we viewed professional relationships as opportunities for learning and growth. We didn't just seek support; we used our contacts as mirrors, sounding boards, and catalysts for our development. Sharing insights and creating a mutual learning environment was a natural part of our interactions. This approach not only enhanced our reputations but also expanded our influence and credibility, making our workplace a hub of continuous improvement and shared knowledge.

On a social platform i.e. LinkedIn, the opportunity to build professional relationships is enormous. Begin by asking: a) Who are we trying to reach? b) What is our unique proposition? c) How can we bring value? Take an interest across a broad range of topics and issues; interact and engage with meaningful conversations through making comments and thought leadership. Be intentional about learning from others. From experience, it’s about overcoming inhibitions and taking baby-steps. Then growing with confidence engaging with our community. Growth is incremental and that applies too, to growing our professional relationships for others to perceive appropriately who we are and what we represent.

Regardless of who I am mentoring, I love the opportunity to learn new things, new approaches and new perspectives. One of the earliest mentors I had taught me to be humble when I have the answers and vulnerable when I do not. Remembering that just because I am the teacher does not mean I can't be taught is something I have lived by for more than two decades of coaching and developing others. I hold deep respect for executive leaders who share that sentiment and aren't afraid to learn from their teams up, down and across the business.

Ultimately you will get out of it, whatever it maybe what you put into it. Be willing to cultivate a growth mindset to see the bigger picture being more visionary, and communicating in a more encouraging way, be collaborative.

The most important tip I can offer is to establish a GENUINE HUMAN CONNECTION with the person you are interacting with. When we connect with people authentically, without focusing solely on our professional goals or needs, we can establish a deeper bond. So, how do we achieve this? Simply put, we should be curious about the other person and strive to find the "magic" that will strengthen the relationship. Once we establish these meaningful relationships in our lives, it becomes easier to achieve our professional goals as we are surrounded by people who want to see us succeed. Effective relationship building is essentially establishing human connections and leading with compassion and curiosity for the other person.

Relationships in work would always have a personal part, we are humans before everything. So being nice, respectful forms an essential base. Finding common grounds with the other person is a great way to start. I believe it's very important also to start with the benefits he would gain from establishing this and after this work together for a win-win relationship.

Be realistic with your time and capacity to maintain the relationships. It’s not a numbers game. Focus on the quality of your relationships, not quantity. You can easily add 100 connections on LinkedIn, but they won’t be beneficial if you don’t invest the time in getting to know them on a personal level. Don’t feel pressured to do something you are not comfortable with. If you prefer to connect virtually before meeting in person, that’s fine. It’s important to do what is natural and authentic to you. Remember to be yourself.

In building professional relationships, it's important to remember that it's a two-way street. Both parties should benefit from the relationship. As a mentor, you should be open to learning from your mentee as well. Also, understanding that professional relationships evolve over time is crucial. What starts as a mentor-mentee relationship may evolve into a partnership or collaboration. Lastly, effective communication is key in any relationship. Be clear about expectations and always provide constructive feedback.