Want to accelerate your career progression but feel like you're doing all the right things without getting the recognition you deserve? This final episode in our emotional intelligence summer series tackles the art of strategic relationship building. We explore why good work alone isn't enough and share practical strategies for building the right relationships in the right way to unlock career opportunities.

Key points from this episode

• Why relationship building is crucial for career progression - it underpins everything from team performance to stakeholder influence
• Three common myths that hold people back from strategic networking and relationship building
• The difference between natural relationship building and strategic career-focused connections
• Practical steps to identify and build relationships with influential people in your organisation and industry
• Reflection questions to assess your current relationship portfolio and identify key gaps

Access the Episode Download here

00:00 Introduction and Topic Overview

01:00 Why relationships matter so much for career progression

02:00 The difference between natural and strategic relationship building

03:00 Myth 1: Good work speaks for itself

04:00 Myth 2: I don't have time for office politics

05:00 Myth 3: Networking feels fake and manipulative

06:00 Taking a strategic approach to relationship building

08:00 Starting with your immediate organisation and influence mapping

10:00 The "give first" principle - offering value to senior people

12:00 Reflection questions to assess your current relationships

14:00 Learning to work with difficult personalities instead of avoiding them

16:00 Building deeper trust vs surface-level relationships

17:00 Key takeaway: Start small with one strategic relationship

Useful Links

Join The Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

Follow the Catalyst Careers LinkedIn page for career tips and advice

Interested in working with us?

Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

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Mentioned in this episode:

Catalyst Career Club for £50k+ Leaders & Managers

Moving up the career ladder needs an inside edge - strategies that allow you to unlock your full potential and position yourself as a true leadership talent.