You gotta build your relationships if you want to learn quickly and effectively

“Only a human being can nurture relationships. It has to be done with flair and transparency, and it can’t be done from a script. The memories and connections and experiences of the person in the center of this culture are difficult to scale and hard to replace”. Seth Goden

Relationships are valuable. Our human connections set the stage for our learning and self development. Without relationships we would not have access to the vast reservoir of knowledge residing within the minds of our colleagues and co-workers.Cultivating and preserving relationships is a critical driver in enhancing our ability to get work done. Knowing who we can seek out to deepen our understanding of a topic is valuable. When we have a connection with someone we are better able to have candid conversations often leading to an increased sharing of knowledge.

Unfortunately the converse of this is true as well. Friction and misunderstanding can decrease the flow of insight and information. Working through this is challenging and can be tough however pushing forward is totally worth the effort. With improved relationships comes improved performance.

A Few Ideas:

• Play the connector. Seek to introduce people. Keep an eye out for potential partnerships that would benefit the organization.
• Connect knowledge resources to experts. When sharing knowledge resources and intellectual property be sure to attribute the work to the experts that helped produce them. Ensure people know who and where within the organization expertise resides.
• Play host. Create events for people to meet and share ideas face to face.