Two current biographies, Unbroken and 41, highlight the importance of our relationships, not only in crisis situations, but also in the growth of our careers. The moral of these stories: None of us can achieve success on our own.
Unbroken, the story of Louis Zamperini, a Japanese prisoner of war during WWII, shows us how relationships can sustain us during our worst hours. Zamperini shared his small allotment of food with prisoners who were suffering greater malnutrition. He sacrificed his own needs, not because he wanted something from the others, but because he felt they needed it more. After the war, when Zamperini sank into alcoholism, his fellow POWs saved him when he needed support the most.
President George W. Bush’s loving tribute to his father, 41, exemplifies the art of relationship building, not in a crisis but over the long-term. Through the course of his career, Senior George Bush nurtured strategic relationships and achieved his greatest goals in political assignments, campaign results and presidential actions.
These biographies remind me of my in-house days and the importance of building relationships with key internal stakeholders. I remember adding things to my “To-Do” list that may have been questionable priorities – but they enabled me to build bonds with those colleagues. At face value such tasks, making an introduction, providing a list, reviewing a marketing piece or attending a meeting, seemed insignificant, but my efforts enabled me to create alliances with physician and administrative leaders who supported my agenda in the long run.
As in life, in physician recruitment and relations roles, none of us can achieve results in isolation. We need the support of internal stakeholders to help us “sell’ an opportunity to a recruit or adapt protocols to capture more referrals. Our ability to influence outside prospects depends greatly on the strength of our internal relationships.
The quality of our relationships can sustain us through the good and bad times. Louis Zamperini’s ability to withstand his wartime torture and his generosity is a testament to the strength of the relationships he had with his military brethren. Bush “41” relied on the support of those he knew in Washington to become a Congressman, UN Ambassador, CIA Director, Vice President and finally President of the United States.
Spending time growing internal relationships may delay the completion of a short-term task, but in the long run those relationships can greatly impact your results. Think about the amount of time you invest in developing meaningful relationships. Do you need to do more?