Last week, my sister emailed me with news on my nephews’
report cards. Aside from their excellent grades, she mentioned that my oldest
nephew was volunteering after school as an Art Room Helper, and he gets “paid”
with a can of Coke and a piece of candy. “He thinks it’s gold,” she wrote. My
sister is a great mom, and it’s always heart-warming to hear about the kids.
When I read the email originally, I was about to go on stage at the SMPS
Southern Regional Conference and I thought, “Wow, volunteering must be in our
blood.”
What struck me as interesting, when I reread the email at my
desk on Monday morning, was how truly important the little things are at any
age. This Fall, I brought into the office a loaf of homemade banana bread on a
Monday morning – my team was so excited. We buy pizza for lunch meetings, and
attendance is stronger. Stopping my day-to-day craziness and sitting down in a
project manager’s office to ask how their day is going doesn’t really slow me
down – it connects me. Asking a CADD person in the elevator what project they
are working on and how it’s going – is gold.
As professional marketers and business developers, we’re
constantly looking for new ways to build and maintain relationships. These
things are simple. They don’t cost a lot of money or resources. Katherine
Robinette, my senior marketer, keeps a small bowl of M&Ms filled in her
office. The clinking noise of replenishing the supply brings project managers
out of their cubes and into hers like the ringing of a dinner bell. If she’s
working in the database, she might ask them about a pursuit and capture some
needed data. But most often, she uses the time to connect with people, to ask
about their kids or weekends, to make friends with our team members, so when
getting data is critical, they work together like friends.
This week, I have a relatively light week in the office; not
a lot of meetings. I’ll make an effort to grab coffee with one of our
environmental PMs who is working on a multi-million-dollar add-on to a big
contract. She will most likely not need any help from me on nailing down this
important next phase of work, but she will know that I care, that her work is
important to the company, and I’m there to help if she does need it. Six bucks
at Starbucks is gold.
So, here’s my challenge to you: Find a small thing – a bowl
of candy, a cup of coffee, a loaf of homemade bread – and build a stronger team
with it. Even if you think you’re already doing something a little extra, push
yourself – try a little something new or different. Trust me, the return on the
investment is gold.
Sincerely,
Francis J. Lippert, FSMPS, CPSM
President, SMPS National Board of Directors
Associate, Water Business Development and Marketing Manager,
David Evans and Associates Inc.