How Informal Relationships Drive Formal Success

How Informal Relationships Drive Formal Success

Take a moment to think about all the people working in other departments around you. Now think about the ones you have the most positive opinions of, and think about why that is. Maybe it is because you never have to wait on them to get things done. Maybe they always have answers when you need them. Maybe they are champions for the importance of the card program and you know they will have your back in a meeting you weren't invited to.

But chances are that your positive opinion is not based only on their efficiency or work ethic. It is also likely that you have a good relationship. You have had conversations with them that weren't just transactional. Maybe you've laughed about something together in a meeting, you enjoy a shared hobby, or you've taken the opportunity to help each other out when there was no immediate benefit. There is a human connection between the two of you, and that matters more than we sometimes admit.

Life in the Campus Silos

On many campuses, working in silos is simply part of the culture. Housing stays in housing. IT focuses on IT. Public safety is doing their thing. Finance has their own priorities. Meanwhile, the card program touches all of these areas! We sit at the intersection of access control, dining, financial transactions, student life, and technology. We rely on everyone... and everyone, in some way, relies on us (even if they don't realize it.)

It's easy to treat those relationships as functional. We need a door schedule updated. We need a new reader installed. We need data from the POS system. But if the only time someone hears from the card office is when we need something or they need something, we are missing a bigger opportunity.

The Case for Coffee and Conversation

Cultivating informal relationships is important for several reasons. One, these relationships bring fun and meaning to the daily grind. Two, they inspire us to keep each other "in the loop" when something is happening that we know will affect our work. And three, they help us understand the other person's perspective and priorities, so we can proactively solve problems rather than just reacting when they come into the office in a panic. 

Building relationships changes the tone of every formal conversation, builds trust, and even changes what information flows your way. When someone in planning is discussing a renovation that could impact access control, they are more likely to say, “We should loop in the card office early.” When public safety hears about a policy shift that might affect after hours building access, they think to give you a heads up. When student affairs is considering a new event management platform, they remember that the card might play a role and they need your input. And it's all because now you are more than just someone in another department. You're a trusted ally... maybe even a friend. 

Work is more meaningful when you feel connected to the people around you. It makes everything better when you grab coffee with someone from housing just to catch up, attend a campus event and see colleagues from different departments and actually know their names, or can pick up the phone and comfortably call someone directly instead of sending a formal email into the void. Or when you know a peer's favorite donut flavor, and grab one to drop at their desk. 

Loop Me In Before It’s on Fire

Those small interactions build goodwill, which builds collaboration, which has the side benefit of elevating the profile of the card program. Over time, you shift from being viewed as the office that prints IDs and troubleshoots door readers to being seen as a strategic partner, a problem solver, and a trusted confidant. This formal success often begins with informal connection.

So look around your campus.

• Who do you only contact when there is an issue?
• Who only contacts you when they are having an issue?
• Who sits just down the hall that you have never really talked to?
• What campus department might benefit from better understanding what the card can really do?
• Who would you like to get to know so that you can learn and share how the card could help with their goals?

Start with a conversation that is not about a specific project. Ask about their goals. Ask what challenges they are facing this semester. Share what you are working on and why it matters to students and staff.... and take time to learn who they are outside of work too! Breaking down silos starts with simple human connection.

In a campus environment where so much of the technology, hardware, and policy is interconnected, the connections and relationships you build informally are what often makes your most important successes possible.