Trust Work Nurturing Relationships When You Don ’ t Need Them
We all know that building relationships and networks is essential to achieving our goals . But working in six different cities and three different countries where no one knew me has taught me the power of nurturing old relationships when we don ’ t need them . My investment in relationships for their own sake – what I call “ trust work ” – helped me in unexpected ways to achieve extraordinary goals in the most unusual places .
The inspiration for this article came during a conversation with my PhD supervisor who had reached out to congratulate me on a successful project . I recently brought together 40 Alaskan leaders from private , government and not-for-profit sectors to participate in my research study based at the University of Queensland Business School in Australia . Given the difficulty in recruiting people for any research study in general , getting some of the busiest executives in Alaska to participate – two years after leaving the state – was deemed extraordinary in academia .
Shortly after this conversation with my supervisor , I received an email from my boss at the law firm in India where I started my first job as an attorney . He was checking in to see how I was doing and give me an update on a lawsuit we had filed when I worked with him nearly 18 years ago . Quite coincidentally , while I was reading that email , I received a reply to a text message I had sent to one of my classmates at the business school in Perth regarding a possible collaboration on a social project . These types of exchanges have become regular occurrences for me .
In the past , most professionals worked in a single profession and all relevant connections were made in person in a single city . But those days are long gone . We now find ourselves working in many organizations , dealing with people in multiple cities and countries , and changing career and life plans more frequently . Today ’ s constantly changing global workplaces create the need to develop deliberate strategies for sustaining long-distance
By Archana Mishra
My investment in relationships for their own sake – what I call “ trust work ” – helped me in unexpected ways to achieve extraordinary goals in the most unusual places . relationships . Thankfully , our modern , hyper-connected world makes it easy to do so through social media platforms . As a result , even people we haven ’ t met can be part of our relationship ecosystem . The key is to not leave them as one of the ‘ friends ’ or ‘ connections ’ on our list . Just like in the real world , virtual world relationships need constant nurturing . However , people should be approached with a genuine desire to keep them in the network , frequently touching base in even simple ways .
For example , when my family moved to Alaska from Brisbane six years ago , I continued to engage with my contacts in Brisbane ( not knowing if I would ever come back ) through email updates , holiday cards , or simply ‘ hope you are doing well ’ messages . Many people reciprocated , including my former boss , who became one of my mentors . This is how trust work happens . Each incremental interaction , when it results in a positive experience for both parties , adds trust . Over time , this may lead to unforeseen collaborations in the future . This proved to be the case when we unexpectedly moved back to Brisbane two years ago . It was a seamless transition because my network had become even stronger than when I had left , all without the ‘ hard work ’ of formal networking .
Another example is when my daughter decided to support a small primary school in a remote Indian village to honor her great-grandfather ’ s legacy . Because we had invested in trust work , our family was able to draw on connections past and present . More than 80 people in 10 different countries responded and helped exceed the project ’ s financial goal within weeks . The basis for people ’ s support was the trust I had built with them over time . I kept in touch regularly , not because I needed their assistance but just for the sake of it . People appreciate thoughtfulness and rise to the occasion when you put your trust in them . Hence , when I asked for their donation , most did not hesitate to help . Their act of generosity further amplified our mutual trust work and they
18 January 2018