Building relationships is something of an art; Etienne Wenger calls it Social Artistry. Someone who can scale the levels of tactical to strategic all the while getting things done, moving them forward, and seeing the forest between the trees. Donna Garber is a good example of someone who can build relationships with C level folks and employees throughout all parts of the organization. She doesn’t really see the world in terms of ‘position’ rather she looks for openings so that she can pop into them and offer a new possibility, an invitation for a connection or perhaps simply a gorgeous laugh.
I’ve hired many social artists over the years and am pleased to share a few attributes:
- Empathic
- Much common sense
- Quickly finds a thread to pull at for relatedness
- Comfortable with ambiguity
- Understands and values diplomacy
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Facilitator
- Bridge builder
- Selfless
- Caring
These people have heart, they understand the importance of relatedness, and they have strong active listening skills.
