When I worked in the music business, I knew a publicist who always had the hook-up for the best shows, seats, and after-parties. One day, I asked about her personal magic, but the surprise was that there wasn’t any secret voodoo. She leaned in and whispered, “Relationships. Lots and lots of relationships.”
In the April series, we’re discussing how to Slay the Game of Office Politics. Traditional thinking about networking and office politics was to forge alliances solely because they had utility. In practice, that meant either chasing the person with the biggest title or scattering your energy trying to befriend anyone and everyone who crossed your path.
But here’s the punch line: If you only look at what someone can do for you, you’re looking the wrong way. The better way to build a network is to skip playing office politics and slay a new game. Decide that your game is establishing authentic partnerships that are built to last.
Let’s meet someone who found success by putting people at the center of his career.
It’s no wonder that Michigan State Basketball coach Tom Izzo loves numbers. Here are a few of his greatest hit stats: He has never had a losing season as a head coach. He has the longest streak of NCAA tournaments in men’s college basketball. And he has the most wins in school history.
Numbers were front and center when Izzo received a jaw-dropping offer to coach the Atlanta Hawks. At the time, they offered to triple his base salary, equivalent to $5,000,000 a year today. However, Izzo didn’t make his final decision based on the numbers. Ultimately, he hesitated because the people involved in the Michigan program were a huge benefit. He summed up how he was treated by saying, “I felt like they appreciated me, and I appreciated them.”
However, feeling the love doesn’t mean Izzo isn’t competitive. Former Michigan State President Peter McPherson confirmed how he makes a point of staying knowledgeable about the going rate in both college and pro basketball. He even skipped hiring an agent and managed renewal discussions personally. Izzo concluded, “I don’t want to sound like I’m some great guy that just said, ‘I don’t care about the money.’ Everybody cares about the money.”
Are office politics making you question how to view relationships? The case study shows how mutually beneficial partnerships aren’t the result of an exhausting ledger of tit-for-tat, quid pro quo favors. In fact, brief transactional interactions don’t count for much if you spend the rest of the day feeling unappreciated or out of sync with your team.
You may be thinking, But networking isn’t my thing—how do I get off the struggle bus? That’s ok—you don’t have to become someone you’re not. As an alternative to pushing yourself to be “always on” or an extrovert in a room full of strangers, try connecting two minutes at a time.
For instance, you’ve probably seen people over-index when they try to network. Over-indexing runs the gamut of the uncomfortable, too big question of, “So, tell me about yourself!” right before the staff meeting to the person who awkwardly drills you about your weekend in the office kitchen.
However, there’s a sweet spot between these extremes, and that is bite-size interactions. Master the art of networking in 2-minute conversations with these building blocks:
Transactional dynamics go out the window once you commit to being your fun, relatable, curious self. So, hone the communication skills to talk to anyone, at any level, anywhere. You’ll get to know others, but most importantly, they’ll get to know you and will be able to easily articulate what you’re about. Advance your career and slay the game by building a diverse network of valuable alliances.