For many years i was told to meet people and have a cup of coffee, which i did and at times i took me around the world. Never a cheap cup of coffee however what i have learnt from those times is that a meeting which is relaxed and in an environment that is neutral and allows more detailed yet relaxed conversations to take place and you tend to get more out of the face to face meeting but more its a getting to know you session.
These sessions tend to have a more tangible result and tend to build long term relationships that survive the effects of the business world we work in for longer. I have to admit it was sound advice, which has paid dividends over the years and led to some great relationships and also allowed me to partake in some amazing projects around the world.
so in short the cup of coffee is a strategy that should be encouraged its only recently that this has really come to my attention after practicing the process for many years. Lesson to learnt for the new and up and coming future managers.
Relationship management is a skill and one that few people really appreciate other than collecting numbers and growing your own network within social media which has also a great deal to offer. the lesson truly is there is no one stop shop that fits all, but remember the personal touch, listening to the issues and working together to resolve the problems.
More frequently email is a barrier and there are many people who will find it easier to hind behind an email rather than speak to a person. There are scenario’s that i have experienced where people will email each other in an office next to each other, and when questioned they didn’t realise it can be considered offensive and quite sad in my view.
Lets enjoy our morning coffee and maintain the human contact in business, and remember the people behind the names, job titles and all the titles and medals of honour in the business world, after all its good to be recognised and feel part of an organisation.
