Take Time To Say Hello!

Whether you are working for a company or serving as an intern, getting to know the people you are working with is key to building relationships and your success. Sometimes the best way to build these relationships in the workplace is simply by saying hello and asking those around you how their day is going.

In my experience, taking time to know the people at an organization has helped me develop relationships and build trust. During my time as a Promotions Director at WOBN-FM (the campus radio station at Otterbein College.....soon to be Otterbein University, taking time to know the other people who worked at the station as well as the freshmen helping out made a difference. Showing an interest in them and taking the time to get to know them as people helped build trust with these people. As a result, it was easy for these people to approach me, help me out with anything I needed, and develop a relationship.

I utilized this strategy for my internships and had success doing so. Everytime I went to intern somewhere, I would take time every morning to say hello to the people who worked at the organization, see how their day was going and was able to build trust and relationships with these people. I simply could have gone in, done my work and left but because I took the time to know other people, I was able to come out with more then what I signed up for at those internships. I came out with a new skill set and lots of relationships with the people I worked with.

While playing for the National Hockey League's New York Rangers, team captain Mark Messier (pronounced Mess-ee-ay) took time to say hello to everyone who worked at Madison Square Garden and the Ranger's practice facility. Messier built relationships with these people simply by asking how their day was going, how they were doing and taking time to show an interest in them. As a result, Messier was well liked by those within the Rangers organization and still has those relationships to this day.

By showing an interest in others and taking time to say hello each morning, you can get more out of a job or internship then what the job description lists.