When I go out for a walk it is for the purpose of exercise and that is what I focus on - head phones in, occasional eye contact with others, small wave - it’s all about the exercise. Recently I noticed my neighbors (also on a walk) stopping to talk with others as they made their way around the neighborhood. They literally know everyone in the neighborhood. I call them the “Mayors of the Hood”. They too are walking for exercise but their purpose is bigger, getting to know others, is more important.

Like the Mayors, there are many people that are just naturally good at building relationships. They put people and relationships before tasks or activities. They are just wired that way. While I might slow down, take out an ear bud and say hello, it wouldn’t occur to me to actually stop and visit, I’m not wired that way! So why the difference?

Let’s first mention, neither one is right or wrong. It just is. We all tend to either be people first or task first. If you were to look at a continuum with task on the left and people on the right, each one of us would fall somewhere on that continuum. Let’s look at an example: You are driving and you see an accident (serious but not deadly), what do you do first - call 9-1-1 or run to check on the person? If you call 9-1-1 first (task), it doesn’t mean that you don’t care about people, it just isn’t where you go first; and, if you go to the person first, it doesn’t mean you aren’t going to call 9-1-1.

The same holds true in relationship building. Those that are more task oriented, might have to be more intentional about building relationships but it doesn’t mean they can’t do it successfully. If you tend to be more on the task oriented side, here are some strategies, adapted from a recent Inc. article, you might find helpful in building relationships:

1. Develop a diverse network - peers, customers, competitors, and people in other industries

2. Give what you expect to get - relationships are not one sided, you will need to invest as much into the relationship as you want to get out of it

3. Build key relationships - intentionally spend time on what you feel are your most important relationships

4. Collaborate with people who have shared interest - these relationships can help with additional connections and become strong advocates

5. Prune / Renew / Reshape your network frequently - continuously identify new connections and remove the ones that are inactive

It takes a community, everyone can build great relationships - regardless of how they are wired!

Interested in learning more about How you are Wired? Consider taking the DiSC Assessment. Review the information below and schedule a quick chat with me when you are ready to discuss the assessment.

Everything DiSC Workplace® can benefit every person in the organization in building more productive and effective relationships at work. It teaches you to understand yourself and others, while learning to appreciate different priorities, preferences, and values each individual brings to the workplace. With personalized insights and actionable strategies, you will learn how to adapt to the style of others, ultimately improving engagement, collaboration, and the overall quality of the organization.