Life really is about the quality of our relationships.
I taught my children early on the value of relationships and being resourceful in getting to know as many people as you can. My son Dan learned at the age of 12 that it really is all about who crosses your path and how you interact with those people that will define your future. Dan had wanted to be a firefighter from age 4. He insisted that someday he would be a paramedic so he could help people every day. Later he sought to join the cadet program at the fire department. He needed to get to know the who that ran the program so I encouraged him to go to the station and meet with the people there, introduce himself and share his interest in becoming a cadet. He did just that, getting to know the Battalion Chief, the captains, etc. By age 14, he was a cadet in the program, and many firefighters and paramedics helped to mentor him. He decided that he needed to expand his relationships to include dispatchers. He was hired at 18 as a 911 dispatcher. He benefited from all of these relationships, and now is a paramedic lieutenant with the fire department.
I share this story as an example of building relationships because it was that first step that Dan took getting to know the right person that has helped him be successful in his career.
We meet so many people on life’s journey. They cross our paths in so many places, sometimes at the most unexpected times. They are there for a reason. While all the relationships we develop may not seem important to foster, it is imperative that we encourage ourselves to be interested in meeting people on our path. Sometimes just getting a business card from the person sitting next to you on a flight may come in handy. I have a collection of over 700 business cards that I have categorized and use when people contact me about possible jobs. I look through the cards, try to recollect where I met the person and determine how best to reach out to them. So often I say “I was on a flight with you to… and you indicated that you did this…I have a friend who is interested. Do you know anyone who might be able to help them?” It has been very successful and helpful for many.
In this era of communications technology and its onslaught of information, we sometimes miss opportunities to get to know the people we run into, people who down the road might be able to strengthen our careers or introduce us to someone who knows someone who knows someone who can help us. Some may call this networking, but by definition we are forging a relationship.
Relationships can be made or broken in a matter of minutes. We choose how best to define our relationships by our actions. Are we interested in meeting people, sustaining a conversation with a stranger, sharing stories that define us? If you answered yes to these questions, chances are you have many people who have crossed your path with whom you have forged a relationship.
In my 35-plus years in the healthcare industry, I have met thousands of people whom I am blessed to have in my circle of relationships. Sometimes I may not talk with a person for many years but when we reconnect it is like we saw each other yesterday, and the beat goes on. Take time to invest in relationships; they are a constant in the ever-changing game we call life. We never know which of our relationships will be the important one this week, so I say, make them all important!
Susan Tyk is an independent supply chain coach and mentor.
