The Fabric of our Society

The Fabric of Our Society editorial is a platform for industry thought leaders to provide experience-based opinions and reflections on various topics. Diverse perspectives are respected and most welcome. Want to contribute? Email [email protected]

August 2024

Build Human Relationships, Build Your Career 

Manny Feris
Retired, Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.

Enjoying what you do every day is a big part of succeeding at what you do every day. I enjoy communicating with my fellow human beings. I've been lucky in that respect.

Not everyone enjoys meeting people for the first time. It helps that I’m consistently surprised by how much we can learn from each new person we meet. Not everyone will be super nice, for sure. But everyone knows something I don’t know…or more about something I thought I knew.

When meeting any new collaborator, your goal should not be to prove yourself, but rather to improve the relationship…or yourself.

Every success that I've had over the years has hinged on respect for each of the different members of the design and construction community. It takes self-assurance to listen with two ears more than you speak with one mouth.

Every member of the team has their own priorities that skew their view of any possible solution. And they're almost always right – from their point of view. Figuring out a solution that meets the primary concerns of multiple team members is the most satisfying part of the job!

The advantages of IRL
It was also a gift that, 50 years ago, we could only meet folks face-to-face. We’d all hunch over D-size drawings laid out on a conference or drafting table. That physical dimension helped spawn insights that a screen or stilted virtual meeting just can’t replicate.

After kickoff meetings, developing relationships in real life gives you the opportunity to review a project or a design challenge as a team. We’d approach and revisit multiple needs in multiple sessions. Yes, it was time-consuming. And the solutions weren’t always ideal, nor 100% successful. But it was more fun.

I’ve also developed close, professional relationships over the phone. It’s slightly more challenging without the body language and other visual cues. But the human voice in all its tonality breeds familiarity with one another’s communication style. (Try that over email!) Of course, surprises always awaited when phone buddies met for the first time!

Today's technology can create a "team" meeting from any geography. But, for me, the most productive meetings are still face-to-face. Developing human relationships takes time and effort and respect. If you're intending to make the most of this industry full of wonderful, diverse individuals, it’s worth the time and effort.

Some of the most successful people I've met had the most confidence in themselves. They were always taking the time to expand the human part of professional relationships – regardless of the experience of the individual or their position on the team.

The best policy
Maintaining close relationships requires two kinds of honesty. The first is genuine care for someone else's needs and thoughts. Try to recognize their point of view and, maybe, reflect it back to them – before expressing your own position.

Second, be honest about what you know and what you promise. Don’t make stuff up! Then you needn’t worry about exactly what you told to whom. It makes work so much easier. Every project brings questions that you cannot immediately answer. Just say, "I don't know, but I can find the answer." Doing the research ASAP, and communicating a high-confidence answer quickly, adds to your knowledge base and the relationship.

I am retired after 50+ years in our fascinating, always-evolving industry. That’s 30 years at Lutron and competing against Lutron before that. I have enjoyed what I did every day: meeting new people and learning how to solve new problems – all the time. Focus on building relationships, and I bet you’ll do the same!