How should you keep up in the world of business? Most people and businesses think it’s about showing teeth and being highly competitive. This might have been effective three decades ago, but in today‘s interconnected world, it’s all about how you collaborate with people. Giuseppe Grammatico, the host of The Franchise Freedom podcast, highlights the value of collaborations and building loyal relationships.
Connect
There is time-tested truth in the saying that you are the average of your five closest relationships – so you better build reliable ones. Global trends and strategies all lead to a more interconnected world each day. This allows us to view people in the same field we are in as allies and not just competitors.
It’s about asking ‘who’, not figuring out ‘how’. – Giuseppe Grammatico
Establishing this kind of relationship heavily relies on our ability to network. It’s about being with the right people with whom you can learn from, share skills with, and open up opportunities that will take you closer to your goal. The key is making a valuable connection with the people who could take you to the next level.
The best way to network today is to grab the opportunities presented by technology and social media. We already have different platforms available for us to connect easily with other people. We have text messages, calls, emails, and social media posts to introduce ourselves and our ideas to the world. You can set yourself apart by maximizing these platforms. Build an online omnipresence that will make people remember you and your niche more.
As for Giuseppe, starting a podcast also boosted his network. It didn't only improve his communication skills, but it also provided him a one-of-a-kind opportunity to reach out. He got to collaborate and learn from the successful people around the globe.
The best gift you can give people in business is a thoughtful introduction. That’s a great way to facilitate relationships with a lot more meaning. – Gieuseppe Grammatico
As you go your way, don’t just stop with building connections for yourself. You can build a strong network for yourself and support others by bridging people as well. Soon enough, you’ll find yourself in a spiderweb of reliable connections.
Delegate
There’s nothing wrong with being hands-on with your business. In fact, you should know it like the back of your hand. In order to get things running, you might need to do everything in the early beginnings. But know that this shouldn’t always be the case. Expecting to do everything and be an expert at it is not only unnecessary, but also counterproductive.
There’s a mindset shift that needs to take place as your venture grows. You need to start delegating other aspects of your business. To do this, there has to be good relations of work with you and your team. Create a system within your workplace that would keep people accountable in their work. Get to know your team and allocate appropriate tasks and have them touch base with you at the end of every day. It is also helpful to set metrics in place that would indicate when things are going north or south.
Lastly, having a feedback mechanism that encourages an exchange of assessment points would make your work relationship stronger and more reliable.
Set the direction
The only way to attract the right people and get them to follow you is to lead with a clear direction and burning passion. It is important to have a long-term vision for your business or organization, but it shouldn’t stop there. Break your vision into pieces, and do it year-by-year, from milestone to milestone.
The most reliable and effective people will not be motivated to share their talents, enhance their competencies, or invest their resources if you don’t share with them your vision. Give yourself and your team something concrete to excitedly aim for. These big, ambitious goals tend to take a lot longer to achieve than you anticipate. But look at any career path, the greatest successes always take time.