Vicki Anderson

Last night I attended a retirement celebration for a colleague of mine. He was the head of an organization to help manufacturers by connecting them with financial, management, process, and business resources. He said he was overwhelmed at the number of people who attended, but everyone else knew that they were there because of their relationship over the years.

He was someone who knew virtually everyone everywhere he went and knew something about them. When he talked with you he would ask about your business, about your children, about what you had learned lately that was interesting, etc. Then he would share news he had learned from his travels around the country. His natural curiosity led him to discover the new and relate it to the old. When he saw you again, he would ask how things were going and likely would mention something you told him before. You see, you had a relationship.

This man was respected and admired, as well as loved, for the personal way he approached his business. He was all about helping you with your business. He loved putting people and resources together as he came upon potential matches. Then he would get out of the way and let you figure out how to make it work. He was helping you build new relationships.

I served on his board for a number of years and the days I would ride with him to another city to meet would be filled with information sharing as well as the collegiality of laughter. He was easy to laugh and hard to say a bad word about anyone.

He says he wants to spend more time on the golf course, but I suspect he will continue pollinating the countryside wherever he goes with relationship building for success and friendship.