RELATIONSHIPS MATTER
Marisol Delgado, Manager of HR Business Partners
I recently transitioned into my role, Manager of HR Business Partners, as part of a job rotation program offered in our department. While I’ve always found the HR Business Partner position intriguing, I had never really considered taking on a role managing this function. The opportunity presented was both exciting and daunting. As I pondered what this change meant for my team, the business, and myself, I realized I was in a unique situation. Taking on this challenge meant I would be stretched in ways I had never experienced before. I would be able to share my knowledge with my new team, while learning a completely different side of our business. This job rotation would help me gain a brand new perspective, taking me completely out of my comfort zone and challenging me to think and act differently.
As I stepped into my new role, I realized immediately that I could not do it alone – I would need all the help I could get. Luckily, our team had recently started reading the book Cultivate: The Power of Winning Relationships by Morag Barrett. One of the first chapters I read offered some great reminders that have been very helpful through my new journey. In the book, Morag talks about the three underlying premises for cultivating winning relationships.
Premise #1: The world of work is a team sport.
As in many team sports, work provides each individual the ability to play to his or her strengths. “Scoring” can be achieved by one person, but more often results are achieved by passing the ball around and trusting others. I knew that I could rely on my strengths to get me through some situations, however, I needed to trust that my team and peers would step in and support me as needed. The more we passed the knowledge around and trusted each other, the better results we would get.
Ask Yourself:
What game are you playing: solo or on a team?
Are you focused on your individual effort/success vs achieving results with others?
Are you a spectator?
Premise #2: You are dependent upon others for your success.
Truer words have never been spoken! I knew going into this new role that I did not have all the knowledge or the answers. I had to ask a lot of questions, research information, and put my trust in the information others were sharing. I realized that I was truly depending on others to share their expertise and guide me through the world of employee relations in order to be successful.
Ask Yourself:
Are you dependent on others for your success?
Can I perform at a high level, alone?
Have I shared my institutional knowledge with others?
Premise #3: Relationships matter.
Being dependent on others not only meant that I needed to maintain my current relationships, but I needed to build new ones. I had to get to know my new team and the managers I would be supporting. I needed to strengthen my relationships with departments I had not yet partnered with. All of these relationships matter, and are critical in navigating any new or established role.
Ask Yourself:
“How much time and energy am I investing in developing lasting business relationships?
Am I thoughtful about which relationships are most important to my success?
Am I proactive in building and maintaining my business relationships?”
Many of you have found yourselves in a similar situation to mine. Maybe not necessarily in the form of a job rotation, but rather in moving from one store to another, taking on a new promotion, or maybe by accepting a new job in a completely new department. Whatever your situation may be, I hope that you take on the challenge and use Morag Barrett’s three premises to help you achieve your goals!
