WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.766
Estimated Runtime: ~7 minutes

00:00:03.866 --> 00:00:07.632
Research from Harvard Business Review shows that your internal network is a

00:00:07.732 --> 00:00:11.498
stronger predictor of career advancement than your performance reviews. Read

00:00:11.598 --> 00:00:15.364
that again. Who you know inside the company matters more than how well you do

00:00:15.464 --> 00:00:19.230
your job. That doesn't mean performance doesn't matter — it does. But

00:00:19.330 --> 00:00:23.096
relationships are the multiplier.

00:00:23.196 --> 00:00:26.962
Think of your relationships in concentric rings. Ring one is your inner circle —

00:00:27.062 --> 00:00:30.828
your manager, your teammates, your closest collaborators. Build these in weeks

00:00:30.928 --> 00:00:34.694
one and two. These are survival relationships. You need them to do your job.

00:00:34.794 --> 00:00:38.560
Ring two is your extended team — cross-functional partners, stakeholders, people

00:00:38.660 --> 00:00:42.426
your manager talks about. Build these in weeks three through six. These are

00:00:42.526 --> 00:00:46.292
growth relationships. Ring three is your strategic network — senior leaders,

00:00:46.392 --> 00:00:50.158
informal influencers, people in roles you aspire to. Build these in weeks six

00:00:50.258 --> 00:00:54.024
through twelve. These are career-accelerating relationships.

00:00:54.124 --> 00:00:57.890
A mentor gives you advice in private. A sponsor advocates for you in public — in

00:00:57.990 --> 00:01:01.756
rooms you're not in, during promotion discussions, when opportunities arise. You

00:01:01.856 --> 00:01:05.622
need both, but sponsors are rare and powerful. To attract a sponsor, you need to

00:01:05.722 --> 00:01:09.488
be visible, excellent, and trustworthy. They stake their reputation on you.

00:01:09.588 --> 00:01:13.354
Schedule five coffee chats in your first month. Not to ask for anything — just

00:01:13.454 --> 00:01:17.221
to learn and connect. Build deposits in the relationship bank. You'll need to

00:01:17.321 --> 00:01:21.087
make withdrawals later. Next lesson — managing up and communicating effectively

00:01:21.187 --> 00:01:24.953
with your boss.