Laurie Baedke (00:02.245)
Well, hello and welcome to another episode of the Growth Edge Leadership Podcast. I am your host, Laurie Baedke and I am really looking forward to the conversation today on a very important topic, networking. It's oft-avoided, frequently done very poorly, and it's not just a career tactic, it's an essential leadership competency.
I am joined on this episode by Paul Marini. Paul serves as the Associate Chair for Administration in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at UNC at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. Paul's not only a respected leader in academic medicine, but he's a professional colleague who has become a friend and a collaborator over the years. Paul, welcome to the show. I'm glad we get to explore the explore. Paul, welcome to the show. I am really glad that we get to explore this topic together today.
Paul Marini (00:53.518)
Yeah, thank you, Laurie. And just what an honor it is to be here talking about a topic that is really, I found one of the most vital parts of my success and my job satisfaction. And it's just cool, full circle moment that I'm doing this with you, someone that I've had the opportunity going back to 2021 at an ACHE virtual Congress, because we were virtual that year, and listening to you give a talk and
just having this feeling like I should reach out to her. And luckily as chance had it, we connected through another ACHE type of programming where we had the opportunity to formally connect. And here we are four years later on a podcast together. So this is truly outstanding and remarkable. I'm excited for this time together.
Laurie Baedke (01:40.335)
I am so glad that you shared that color commentary or that context on how it is that we connected and met because that is of course the way that I have collected so many amazing and really rich and rewarding professional relationships. And it is just the best and the icing on the cake when those continue or perpetuate on and then blossom into being able to forge more personal alignment as friends and that also finding ways to
collaborate professionally as well. And so I'm just so glad that you're interested to dig into this topic today because you and I are both really passionate about networking. And I know that your perspective is going to bring some richness to the listener on the topic this morning. But I think it's fair to say kind of as we start at the highest level framing the dialogue that almost all
high achieving professionals or many resist networking for one reason or another. They may view it as self-promotional or political or unnecessary. And yet the higher that we rise in leadership, the more that our success depends on relationships, not just our own individual competence or capacity. So Paul, when you hear the word networking, what reactions do you see or hear from leaders?
Paul Marini (03:00.77)
Yeah. You know, I think one element to just start out is time. I think that is an element that gets in the way of just, my gosh, like I have to create so much more time. have to go to this event after the working hours. I have to travel to this conference when in fact there are so many opportunities, small interactions with individuals that are out there that you could really foster and build a very strong network. So I hear time a lot.
you brought up the element of self-promoting and this transactional feeling and that can get kind of icky. And I know, just have worked with so many outstanding leaders that are just high performers. And sometimes there's that idea, like, let my work speak for myself. I don't need to go out and get in front of a bunch of people and tell you why I'm awesome. Like my work will, will do the talking for you. And, and it's kind of that framing that I think it's in the way of people losing out on this opportunity to build networks that
not just for them to personally take advantage of, but for their actual job. think as leaders, there is an element or responsibility for us as leaders to build strong networks. Just like from an operational standpoint and getting things done within our organizations, if we have strong networks amongst these individuals that we work with on a day-to-day basis, you can get work done. So much time gets put into thinking about the execution and strategy and all these elements.
But all those, as we all know, working in healthcare and any type of business field, that those all fall flat when relationship is not at the forefront and being able to think through the people element of that. So I really think there's a need for leaders to reframe the way that they think about networking, that you do have time for it. There are just always small instances and we can dig deeper into what those could look like.
And I do think that it's really to supercharge the great work you're doing the ideas that you have the execution of projects you're trying to do Leveraging relationships is what's really going to set you apart
Laurie Baedke (05:09.913)
Yeah, I love that. And I'd love you to dig a little bit deeper if you have a specific example or can think of a way that for a really busy leader or for a very well advanced leader who maybe thinks he or she doesn't individually need a network, but they may be stewarding the leadership of others in their department or their organization, or you're in an academic medical environment. And so for some of your very well established
faculty in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery or the Department of Surgery at large, they may think, man, I don't need those resources anymore, but how does leadership change when that individual thinks about networking as stewardship of relationships and being a connector rather than just their own individual self-advancement?
Paul Marini (06:00.334)
No, that's really important. think, and I would definitely say that at all parts of our career and maybe the types of network connections we have evolve over the course of our career because you hear about it all the time of CEOs that have these kind of mastermind groups or think tank groups or not think tank, but like groups of individuals that they talk to across other industries, maybe just totally outside of where
their industry lies and it allows them to think, to see where things are coming. And those are kind of strategic networks that they build where someone may be just getting out of, know, maybe their master's program and starting their career and about to start a fellowship in healthcare administration. They may need more of those kinds of personal connections, those mentors, those coaches, those people to kind of really help them get things off the ground. So I think as busy leaders and higher executive level leaders, I think
there's always going to be an element, need to cultivate a network that is going to, again, be able to allow you to operate and allow you to achieve results at the highest possible level. For those that have that network and they're those higher level, I think there's also, and I'm just coming from personal experience, like I love when I get a chance to share my network. When you have that...
you know, it might be a 10 minute conversation with someone that you're seeing at a leadership event that's part of your organization and you're speaking and something just kind of pops in your ear and you're like, you know who I should connect you with? Let me connect you with so-and-so and then a nice follow-up email that connects the two. And I've seen that just like take off and it's, it's rewarding for everyone wins because I feel great that I get to help this individual. the individual feels great cause they got a problem that they're trying to work through.
Laurie Baedke (07:49.563)
Yes.
Paul Marini (07:53.44)
solved with this next connection. And then you're really flattering that person that you're reaching out to and saying, hey, like I would love for your expertise to help this individual. So it's a triple win across everybody when you're able to share your network.
Laurie Baedke (08:07.097)
I appreciate that example so very much because I think that that is, it is such a light lift for you, for the person who holds that connection or that awareness or insight about who is doing research or is a scholarly or subject matter expert on this particular topic. It is not in my wheelhouse and so I can't be a direct resource to you, but I know exactly who to send you to. And it is just a fantastic way for leaders to be able to be
investing in knowing who they know, but then how can they share of that network in a way that advantages someone else? Super light lift, very, very strategic and impactful. So let's change directions and kind of zoom way down and get granular in terms of some of the initial steps. And some of those tactics then can be really overwhelming and anxiety inducing.
kind of moving beyond the small talk. How is it that you introduce yourself or how is it that you reach out and initiate any thoughts or tactics that have been effective for you that you've used or that you've taught on or read about?
Paul Marini (09:19.468)
Yeah, I think there is a natural framing of kind of a performative view of networking. Like, what am I going to say to this person? Who am I going to impress with what I have to say? And I think that puts an unnecessary pressure that gets in the way that honestly, and speaking from experience, I have skipped out on networking opportunities because of that very thought and getting inside my head earlier on in my career. And again, I think
Laurie Baedke (09:28.613)
Yes.
Paul Marini (09:49.518)
part of it is honestly kind of being too inside your head, being too inward focus. And when you can kind of shift your thought of networking to be outward focus, I like to think about framing networking with curiosity, with generosity and with consistency. And I think when you utilize kind of that model and you go up to individuals and you ask questions and you ask follow up questions to things that they're saying, so it's not just this kind of ping pong of who are you?
Where are you from? What do you do? And that just, that's where I think people get hung up and think what a network networking conversation is. And when you have that opportunity to ask people like, what are they working on? That is their biggest challenge right now. asking questions of what are areas, like instead of asking, so what did you do before this? You could ask like, what are some key job responsibilities or places you've traveled that have shaped you to where you are today and just getting things in a way that you're just being super curious. And the more.
that you do that, you'll find a that you're it comes so much easier for you because you're just you're just entering in with curiosity, asking questions and you're learning. It allows the other person to think, wow, this person is so genuinely interested in me because they're asking like these great questions about me. And I really appreciate that because they're going to they're going to walk away from that conversation, not thinking about the performative, like, the amazing things they said. They're going to walk away thinking, well, I really felt heard. I really felt connected with this person.
I hope to connect further relate further build a relationship with this individual after this conversation. So I think that's as I think kind of more, I think in the kind of standard way we think about networking and those conversations at conferences or other meetup type of opportunities. I also think one approach that I also take that I think is important is particularly when you're building networks within your organization or maybe
at a, you meet somebody at a conference or you heard someone give a talk and you have that little interaction that the biggest thing that really gonna set the hook is going to be that follow-up communication with the individual. It's amazing how many contacts I have had that all came, like really happened because of the follow-up email, not the initial, hello, my name is Paul, because they probably forgot about that. If it's someone who gave a talk as I'm sure you know, you'll, you know.
Paul Marini (12:14.85)
You meet hundreds of people and it's hard to remember, but when you got that follow up email or handwritten note or something like that, those are the individuals that you're like, like I do remember this person. Ooh, I do want to connect with this person. so starting with that and, obviously doing it in a way that's following up. And if you're asking for more time for a 15 minute chat over zoom or a quick coffee, you know, being respectful of their time being prepared, but I can't stress enough.
And I know you've given a talk and we've given a talk together on being super connected and just the importance of follow up as you're building your network.
Laurie Baedke (12:50.641)
Yeah. I appreciate so much of what you just outlined because that was packed with some really practical application. When you talk about how you can leverage curiosity, it flips the table from, I need to be impressive to how can I seek to understand the person that I am interacting with? And I think that curiosity signals humility.
and it signals emotional intelligence or executive presence in a way that increases connection and it increases your likelihood of finding common ground. If you ask those questions that you suggested about someone's path and how that has formed them or examples that can build trust in a way that is either more memorable or more impressive in you're not trying to be impressive, but the outcome results in
you actually being more impressive or memorable to the individual that you're interacting with. I appreciate that a lot. Shifting to kind of this reality where so many of our interactions now are virtual versus in-person. You and I actually met first in a virtual forum because back in 2021, that was still necessary given the state of our world. What does networking look like in
an in-person and a virtual forum, what advantages maybe exist now that didn't before?
Paul Marini (14:24.91)
Sure. I think there's kind of moving back to where networking was very an approximation or approximate. Who are the people around you? Who are those encounters that maybe you have at the water cooler, walking in from the parking lot at work? And now we're in this connected world where geography does not matter anymore. You can speak to anybody.
at any point in any country. And that has just opened up the ability to stay connected in a new way. things like LinkedIn and being able to expand your network through there. And I mean, for instance, there's somebody who's in an industry, not even close to my industry, both in sales and in kind of the, the personal health and fitness coaching who's built a really great presence on LinkedIn.
that I came across just through another connection and we connected on LinkedIn. And at one point I reached out and just said, hey, I'm really loving what you're doing on LinkedIn. I'd like to learn more of just kind of how you're building your brand. By chance, would you be open for a quick Zoom call? And we're actually meeting on Friday. But here's someone that I would never have come into contact without where we're at today in a more virtual and connected world that now I have this person in a different industry.
that I'm able to connect over Zoom. They live somewhere else in the country. And so now this is just, this is ways that we can build our network outside of just kind of the sphere of our organization and maybe our industry. And now we can go above and beyond that. So I see lots of opportunities, ways to leverage that. I think also, you know, when it comes time to connect with really busy C-suite level people, I think asking for even 15 minutes of coffee still requires
going to a coffee shop or going to meet somewhere and the real time is more than 15 minutes. But if you were to ask someone like, hey, I'd love to pick your brain about this. Do you have 15 minutes where they can simply just flip on zoom, chat for 15 minutes, just the ability to engage with senior leaders whose time is so valuable has the barrier has definitely gone down. So I think we're in it. We have the ability to move where.
Paul Marini (16:47.758)
kind of your proximity used to be what was important with your network to now intentionality really needs to drive where your network is being built in this virtual world. And I think the opportunities are endless of who and where you can build your network.
Laurie Baedke (17:03.313)
I agree. And I also appreciate that you're pointing to some of the etiquette because tactics require finesse and your approach can often dictate someone's response. Even a very, very busy individual, very high ranking senior established, et cetera. Or as you mentioned a moment ago, someone really completely outside of your domain who might get a message from you and think,
I don't know this individual, there's no benefit for me here, but your approach perhaps allows. And one of the things that I heard you say is ask for a small amount of time. Again, the lighter the lift for the individual that you're asking or their time, everyone's time is incredibly valuable. Increases the likelihood that you're going to get a yes. Also, you mentioned being really crystal clear about what it is that you're wanting, right?
You'd love to learn more about X, Y, or Z. I suggest similarly when anyone is reaching out and kind of wanting to learn from individuals who could be, would be mentors or sponsors in the future, just start with an initial ask for, hey, I see that you have this area of priority in your scholarly research or
I noticed that you are also trained in this clinical discipline, but you have transitioned in an unconventional way to this type of a role. Or I see that you're also a physician, but you're in industry now and in a device or in a biotech or a pharma company. What can I learn? The more specific, the smaller amount of time that you're asking for. I suggest as well, the most amount of lead time. If you're flexible, if you're asking to get on someone's calendar next week,
or in the next week or two, that might be very, very unrealistic and it may reflect poorly on you. But if you say, I would just welcome any amount of time that you have in the next 60 to 90 days, here's exactly what I'm after, you're more likely to get a yes when you're doing it with that approach. That's just the etiquette that can help increase the likelihood that someone receives your request and is motivated to respond.
Paul Marini (19:13.986)
Yeah, I couldn't agree more. think. Because because put yourself in their shoes and think where they're at and what their time constraints are. And and again, at the end, at the end of the day, my request is to hopefully through my curiosity, gain more information and help build out my network. Therefore, I want to come up with a very, like you said, crystal clear prescriptive plan.
to get a yes out of my request. And a lot of that comes with being very deliberate with what you're asking for, the time that you're asking for being reasonable and obviously giving that lead time. So it can realistically happen and fit into someone's schedule. And to be honest, in my experience and those type of reach outs, regardless of level and organization or spanning different industries, I don't know if I've ever gotten a no.
It might be a not right now, but let's connect a little bit further down the road, but I've never gotten just a flat out now.
Laurie Baedke (20:16.635)
Yes, yes, I love that. And I agree. I would say the exact same thing. And in fact, I was giving a session on this a week ago today for a large group of physicians in a leadership development course that I host. And the thing that I said on that very topic was, it's amazing what the narrative is, what the story is that we tell ourself about the rejection that we're going to receive, right? We make up all kinds of stories about how this person is going to
be appalled and offended by Joe Schmo reaching out, asking for my time, that they may publicly shame us on social media for asking for their time. And the opposite is true. Again, if you're going about it appropriately, people are incredibly generous with their time. Even the most senior ranking and incredibly busy individuals, most all. I know I would include myself on this, not the importance factor, but just,
You know, I think about, man, so many people have generously given to me and I want to pay that forward. And so many individuals that you would reach out to and ask for a 15 or 30 minute, you know, conversational interview with about their career path or about their research or anything else. People are highly motivated to be generous and pay it forward because almost all of us.
can say that we are where we are today because someone was generous with their time or social capital on our behalf. And so we make up stories in our minds and our minds can work against us as it pertains to making that ask, taking the small step of initiative and reaching out to people.
Paul Marini (22:00.984)
Yeah, I couldn't agree more. And I think it's so amazing what we talk ourselves out of doing. I would love to, it would be nice to know how many, how many potential opportunities I left on the table just because I didn't take action because of what was in my head. One, one exercise that I do, and not just with reaching the individuals to build a network, but just in areas where you're in your head and you're thinking it's going to go a certain way. try to, again, get curious and make an experiment. And I like to.
take out a pen and write down on paper, like, this is how I think it's gonna go. And I make it super dramatic. And sometimes just that act of writing it down subsides the of the anxiety or what you think is gonna happen. But it's good to like just have something down and then go do it. And then come right back to what you wrote and you'll just find like how much time you wasted. Just thinking of what could have happened or like you mentioned getting shamed on social media or something. And it's quite the opposite.
Laurie Baedke (22:45.423)
Mm-hmm.
Paul Marini (22:59.776)
when we just take action. And I mean, there's plenty of times and opportunities that you just got to, you got to take a jump. And I think shifting that mindset and being more outward thinking about the individual. And I want to know this person has done, like, this is where I want to go with my career in 10 years. I want to hear this career path. me, know, 15 minutes, I would love to hear kind of what, what were those key moments? What were those key failures? What were those key learning opportunities that shaped you to who you are?
Laurie Baedke (23:00.113)
Yeah.
Paul Marini (23:30.018)
that I'm hoping to be in 10 years and it's gonna be successful.
Laurie Baedke (23:34.799)
Yeah. Yeah. You alluded to something a moment ago that I'd love to nudge us toward and that's sameness versus diversity. think human nature tends to pull us toward people who think like we do, who are doing similar things to what we currently do. And I think leadership requires us to resist that instinct because we know that the more homogenous our network is, it will be limiting. So why do leaders unintentionally build networks that are
similar or same and or homogeneous and how do we overcome that tendency in in the way that we build rich networks, Paul?
Paul Marini (24:17.728)
I really appreciate you bringing this topic up because I think it's really something to really take your network to another level because we're not talking here to build networking numbers, but really to strengthen and fortify the network that you have around you that's going to enable you to be at your best, to innovate, to strategically think, to help others. And there's so much that...
is needed to have a diverse network of people around you. Because when you're sitting in an echo chamber and you're hearing kind of the same things, it's nice, but I mean, that's what you have friends on the weekend for when you're watching a football game and you can get that out of there. But when you're trying to, if your network is reflective of people that are on your org chart and in your organization, you're just working, you're not really building any kind of meaningful network.
going out and beyond kind of the walls of where your network lives and reaching the people in different industries that have different backgrounds, that are different points of their career, maybe someone who is in healthcare but wasn't in healthcare for the first half of their career, you're gonna hear a very different perspective from that person than that individual that knew they wanted to be in healthcare from undergrad and has just been at it the whole time. And just thinking through that lens of
Where can I hear different perspectives? I have always enjoyed finding, and again, this might be for my curious nature of just like, I've always wanted to hear people who have different perspectives. I love to have individuals that I can have really thoughtful conversations with where we can challenge each other's thinking. I think that's where, that's what broadens and evolves kind of your thinking and who you are as a leader and how you show up.
because I think when you have that opportunity to have those conversations with individuals that are, that are pushing you to having you think differently, you know, you're doing the same for them. You're in kind of a safe environment too. When you, when you have that relationship built as someone in your network, and then you get into something that you're kind of going back and forth on. it's, it's a really good practice in a safe way to have kind of conversations with people that you disagree with.
Paul Marini (26:44.398)
because there's a mutual relationship, there's a mutual level of trust and care for one another. So I think that's one other kind of fringe benefit of having a diverse network. you know, again, at the end of the day, it's what do you want out of your network? You're going to get what you put into it. And if you want to just hear a bunch of yeses and you're doing great job, and that's fine, you can build that network.
But if you're looking to build a network that's going to shape and mold and evolve you and allow you to broaden and strengthen your network, that's going to A, as an individual, broaden your understanding, elevate your knowledge, and form more meaningful connections. And then for your organization and the work that you're doing, having those strategic network individuals, that's going to allow you to really
propel your career forward, to be in talking with people in other industries, to be with those people. know, one thing I think about a lot is like, a lot of some of my coolest opportunities that I've gotten out of my network have not come from the epicenter of my network of those individuals kind of at the courts, always been at the fringes or the edges of my network. Those people that, you know, maybe someone I haven't talked to in five years and I reach out to and like just kind of a dormant.
Laurie Baedke (28:01.381)
and
Paul Marini (28:08.63)
a dormant network, a dormant individual that maybe I worked with in another company and I reach out to that individual. Or maybe it's that moonshot contact that I reach out to and have a conversation with. And I think there's definitely the benefit of reaching and building and fortifying that network. Cause you just never know what opportunity is going to come your way from who you talk to.
Laurie Baedke (28:31.545)
Yeah, I totally agree. And I think that does require a really intentional approach. And for any listener, as you're thinking, what are the things that I have previously or currently believed about networking and what might be wrong about that? Or maybe not wrong, but just how might that be in my way as I consider what I want my view of networking to be, what I want my approach to networking
to become more like as I think about, you know, what I'm wanting from it in the long run. It's not just a transaction. It's not just someone who knows of me for a future job. Maybe it is purely that curiosity and my humble inquiry and that growth oriented desire to need diverse perspectives or unique cutting edge perspectives that
when I read the posts that they put on LinkedIn or when I'm listening to their podcast, I bring practical solutions back to the work that I'm doing today. And so just really kind of challenging, what is it that, how do I look at networking? What is the view that I've had of it and how can that evolve so that I am better and I become better from that relational rich?
rewarding transaction, not transaction, the rich rewarding relationships that networking can bring. And I wanna cue you up because before we close out, because time is running short, talk just a little bit about the different types of networks that we might want to consider. Of course, there's external networking, there's internal networking, and what are the different types of networking, Paul?
and just kind of briefly talk about how we need to broaden or perhaps think more holistically about the practice.
Paul Marini (30:26.862)
Yeah. I think there's many different ways that you can slice and dice it and how you kind of categorize it. There was a great article from Harvard Business Review, How Leaders Create and Use Networks by Ibarra and Hunter. they kind of slice it into three categories of your operational network, your personal network, and your strategic network. And so I think it's interesting the way that they kind of talk about it and frame it and where I think some leaders invest a lot of their time
others that they don't. And I kind of have my own thoughts in the midst of that, but let's take our operational network. And I think that's really the people within your sphere that like you need to get work done, maybe within your organization, maybe vendors that are, or other stakeholders that are part of the work that you need or the individuals in context that you need to get work done. And I think it's one that we all have, like regardless, we all have that form of a network.
One thought that I have with that group is I think there's a missed opportunity to think about that as your network and therefore be intentional the way you build and cultivate that. There might be that person and say, being at a university, we have a lot of central offices that we work with to get things done. And thinking about little small gestures and ways through follow-up or a note of gratitude as you work with those people and building that network and just kind of investing in those relationships.
Laurie Baedke (31:33.606)
Mm-hmm.
Paul Marini (31:52.781)
has really helped me as I need to get things done in my job and what's required of me. I know so many people that in a matter of minutes could get on the phone and I can get things done when, particularly when things are challenging or it's a new problem that's never been seen before. I at least know who I can pick up the phone and call. So I think with operational network, we all have it. My challenge would be to, for individuals to really think how to leverage and make the most of that. The second.
Laurie Baedke (32:19.963)
Mm-hmm.
Paul Marini (32:21.59)
would be kind of that personal network. And I think this is the area a lot of people and lot of leaders land on and thinking about their network of people that they've met at conferences, maybe professional organizations, maybe mentors, and these are all really important. think these are the areas to think about who are individuals that can help diversify your thinking, that can really push on you and challenge the way you think. These can be individuals to really help you grow.
These could be those kind of help line, 911 calls of like, got a problem, can you help me? And yeah, phone a friend. So it is vital to have a strong group there. And then I think that the third group is the one where maybe we don't think as much about. And I know the authors of that article from Harvard Business Review kind of really was speaking to the strategic network and kind of thinking of those people that are going to help you see
Laurie Baedke (32:53.681)
I'm a friend.
Paul Marini (33:18.09)
what's coming in the future for your organization. I think this one particularly is responsibility of senior leaders and the way that they're trying to move their organization and building connections, whether it's in person through LinkedIn, through where you're getting information, through conferences you're going through and thinking broad, thinking outside of, you know, I know for instance, you know, in the healthcare world, we've talked about, you know, there's been a lot of conversation of like high level.
executives talking about say Netflix, because we're moving into this more in-demand level of medicine that's kind of at the palm of your hand in your phone and you can get a provider on the phone. Well, a lot of those, and I've sat in rooms of hearing senior leaders talk about like, you know, how did Netflix do this? And how did they really achieve that? Or thinking about something like an Uber or, you know, these other industries that are bringing services to individuals.
in a way that's instant, that meets them where they're at. And so as healthcare professionals and healthcare leaders, we want to do the same thing. So, and I bring up that example of just the importance of thinking broadly and being exposed to a network that's going to help you move your industry forward, move your organization forward in a climate that's always filled with change. And I think those leaders that really invest in that side are the ones that are really on the forefront in moving things.
whether individually for their career in their organization or those at the very top moving their organizations in a way that's differentiating themselves in the market.
Laurie Baedke (34:54.799)
Yeah, no, I appreciate that. And I like that article as well. I'll make sure to link to it in the show notes so that listeners, if they're wanting to dig into that research from Dr. Ibarra and Dr. Hunter, can learn a little bit more. let's land the plane, Paul. Let's just kind of bring it to close with maybe just a note of encouragement. If you're listening, if you're speaking directly to the listener who maybe realizes that they've under invested in their professional network.
What is a note of encouragement that you would issue to them or what is one small tip, step that they can take today to begin strengthening those relationships in a more meaningful or sustainable way.
Paul Marini (35:37.165)
It's never too late to start. You got to start somewhere. And so if you feel like you're behind the eight ball, that's fine. Start today. You know, I challenge you to, to, to jump on LinkedIn or go through your phone contacts, reach out to someone. Maybe someone from another company used to work for a contact that you haven't talked to in a few years, reach out to them. Being intentional about your relationships with everyday interactions. talked about like the busy physician or senior leaders, you know,
Time is a constraint for all of us in leadership. But I think the way that we move through interactions to build relationships, to invest in relationships, really allows us to build influence, build trust in our organizations. And so I think there's just always going to be small intentional ways that you can build your network. And I just said the word investment, and I think that's something key that I wanted to say earlier is just the important thinking of it.
not as this quid pro quo or I'm giving, want to get, I want to meet you. want to form a network relationship with you so I can get something from you. Just be putting those consistent investments in that relationship and just think about it as you would a good friend, a family member or something, and putting those little, you know, gestures, those little points of, of interaction and invest in that relationship. It might come that you need to ask for them for something. And that's great. Cause you've built.
Laurie Baedke (37:01.21)
Indeed.
Paul Marini (37:05.858)
that relationship on a basis of respect, of trust, of generosity to that individual. And at the same front, on the other hand, they might be reaching out to you to ask you for something. And because you've built that network, that trust, they're gonna feel comfortable coming to you to ask for something. So I would definitely just say.
be intentional about thinking about as investing in the other person. I think if you come from it, from that mindset and thinking, getting out of your head and thinking on the other, the other person on the other side, like you're going to get much more enrichment. For me, it is a huge job satisfier to have the network that I have. I just love when I get a chance to connect with some colleagues I talk maybe once a year with some colleagues. I maybe sit down for coffee once a quarter.
And for me, it's a job-satisfier just to have those relationships, build those relationships. And sure, there are times that come up where I get to reach out to them and I get to connect with them and I need something for them or they reach out to me and that's fine. But at the end of the day, I'm just looking to build these relationships as that is something for me that satisfies what I need to get fulfillment out of my career. so again, I think, bring it home, just stay curious with your networking.
be generous with your networking and stay consistent with your networking. And I think that is going to really elevate and, and fortify and cultivate the network that you want.
Laurie Baedke (38:35.493)
That is fantastic. I couldn't have said it better myself, And I'm so grateful that you joined me. That's amazing, Paul. I couldn't have said it better. And I am so deeply grateful that you joined me for this conversation today. I knew it was going to be amazing and it exceeded my expectations. And so I hope the listeners are walking away feeling more encouraged and better equipped to take on the relational element of leadership that is networking. Thank you for your time.
Paul Marini (39:03.864)
Great, thank you, Laurie. Appreciate this opportunity.
