It Is About Building Relationships

There are many things in this New York Times article, "Young People Plug Into Politics" that raised my eyebrows and made me nod my head up and down but the one thing that touched me the most is the observation made by Barack Obama when he said "It is about building relationships." This is so true!
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/technology/tech-usa-politics-youth.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
As a young professional entering the workforce this life lesson was one of the first I learned. Building relationships with your boss, your vendors, your colleagues and your peers is one of the most important things you can do to further your career. It is also about building the right kind of relationships. You know what I mean here. I was never more surprised than I was when I observed the adults that I worked with acting like high school students.
The one thing Obama left out is that it is about building relationships with the right kind of people. Spend the time to get to know your mentors and your role models and spend even more time staying away from people who are nice to your face and nasty behind your back. A life lesson learned like this is worth getting a refresher course on every once in a while.