Building relationships and learning how to influence downward, sideways, and upward is pivotal to your career success. When you land a new role or have just been promoted, it’s easy to focus on achieving a quick win at the expense of building relationships with your colleagues and direct reports. The best managers achieve both results and build strong relationships. Here’s how:

• Start with building trust. Prioritize meeting one on one with each of your direct reports and peers. Ask questions like: What does success look like for you? What do you want to be known as? Be clear on your own goals and expectations so that your direct reports understand what success in their roles looks like from an organizational standpoint.
• Be open to being influenced. You don’t have to have the last word on everything. Asking for your team’s opinions and listening to understand and expand your perspective sends the right leadership signal.
• Adapt your message to your audience. To persuade and influence people, you need to win both hearts and minds. Once you understand the motivations of your team members, bosses, or direct reports, you can customize and connect your message to those motivations, and your influence will increase substantially.