How do you build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders in other departments?

Face time:

Face time, whether virtual or in person is always going to go farthest in maintaining connections. We’re social creatures after all. If you don’t already  have a regular cadence of seeing some of the most important stakeholders in meetings each month, now is a good time to take inventory and get a little bit of calendar time. Now, this doesn’t always need to be in the form of 1:1s. There are plenty of instances where being part of regular cross-functional meetings will be enough. 

Listen and validate:

When you have those meetings, listen closely for the problems your peers are trying to solve and the types of opinions and facts they bring to the table. Finding moments to mention when you are aligned with their perspective helps you build a sense of alliance and validation. This sets the stage for them to take your needs and perspectives seriously when the time comes. 

Concise written communications:

Written communication can also be a powerful tool. If you can develop the discipline to write extremely succinct summaries of marketing results, strategic recommendations, market insights, and operational requirements, people will see you as a valuable contributor who keeps things moving forward. As we all know, less is more here and that’s easier said than done. Work on your executive communication (and ask for feedback on it) to ensure that many types of stakeholders will want to consume your content. 

Get to know the humans and show you care:

Make sure you also spend a little time seeing and knowing people for who they are. Appreciating their personality, interests, and family help build bonds that remind everyone of our shared humanity. We all appreciate being asked about ourselves or having an opportunity to lightly commiserate.