Your Flow Zone Is...
The Relationship Builder 🤝
Your genius is connection.
You have a gift for building trust.
Whether you’re nurturing long-term relationships, creating cohesion within teams, or collaborating across departments or partners, you have a gift of building or nurturing the relationships that drive things forward. You have an instinctive sense of who would be the right person to talk to get the job done, and you know how to convince them to get on board and deliver what’s needed.
This isn’t just about being personable. It’s about knowing how to build bridges that last, how to get people to collaborate, get things done, and how to have fun in the process. You’re often the connective tissue in a group or organization. You’re the one who keeps people on the same page and moving toward a shared goal despite obstacles. You build alignment not through force, but through trust and relational fluency. People trust your judgment because you listen well, hold nuance, and navigate tension with skill.
This zone doesn’t require extraversion, it’s simply about your ability to build relationships easily and sustain trust, however you do that. Projects run smoother, partnerships are more fruitful, and teams become more effective under your watch. Ensure this strength is at the heart of your work and you will be on the path to fulfillment and success.
You have a gift for building trust.
Whether you’re nurturing long-term relationships, creating cohesion within teams, or collaborating across departments or partners, you have a gift of building or nurturing the relationships that drive things forward. You have an instinctive sense of who would be the right person to talk to get the job done, and you know how to convince them to get on board and deliver what’s needed.
This isn’t just about being personable. It’s about knowing how to build bridges that last, how to get people to collaborate, get things done, and how to have fun in the process. You’re often the connective tissue in a group or organization. You’re the one who keeps people on the same page and moving toward a shared goal despite obstacles. You build alignment not through force, but through trust and relational fluency. People trust your judgment because you listen well, hold nuance, and navigate tension with skill.
This zone doesn’t require extraversion, it’s simply about your ability to build relationships easily and sustain trust, however you do that. Projects run smoother, partnerships are more fruitful, and teams become more effective under your watch. Ensure this strength is at the heart of your work and you will be on the path to fulfillment and success.
You're likely energized when:
You’re building trust with clients, collaborators, or teammates over time
You’re facilitating movement through strong relationships across departments, cultures, or functions
You’re part of a team or project that thrives on strong interpersonal dynamics
You’re brokering collaboration or creating momentum through your personal connections
Common challenges for Relationship Builders:
You may feel bored in roles where you don’t have to collaborate with others
You may struggle to give constructive feedback because you worry about damaging the relationship
You may overly rely on relationships and forget to spend time on the details or systems and tools that are an important part of bringing a project to life
Reflection prompts to deepen your self-awareness:
Do you prefer cultivating a few deep relationships or a wide, expansive network?
Do you have a preference for building relationships internally (within teams/orgs) or externally (with clients/partners)?
Do you enjoy navigating and mitigating interpersonal challenges?
How could you design your career so that this strength is even more vital to your success?
What percent of your time in your current role is spent doing your top two Flow Zones? You should aim for 70% or higher.
What tasks and responsibilities on your To Do list aren't energizing for you? How much of your current role do they make up? Use the below language to support any restructuring you might need.
When talking to people about how you uniquely add value, you might say:
I’m a relationship builder. When success in my role hinges on building and nurturing relationships, I thrive
I’m best when I have to work with a variety of people across departments / cultures / teams to collaborate and get things done
I enjoy building and nurturing relationships internally and externally as a core part of my role
I’m a relationship builder. When success in my role hinges on building and nurturing relationships, I thrive
I’m best when I have to work with a variety of people across departments / cultures / teams to collaborate and get things done
I enjoy building and nurturing relationships internally and externally as a core part of my role
If you want to restructure your role you can use language like:
I would like to do more people-facing work (interfacing with clients, internal teams, etc)
I’m interested in working with / on [team] because their work is so relationship-driven and this comes naturally to me
I would love to discuss how to better give constructive feedback while still maintaining a strong relationship, is this something you can help me with?
I would love to work more closely with [colleague], I feel their operational skills compliment mine
I would like to do more people-facing work (interfacing with clients, internal teams, etc)
I’m interested in working with / on [team] because their work is so relationship-driven and this comes naturally to me
I would love to discuss how to better give constructive feedback while still maintaining a strong relationship, is this something you can help me with?
I would love to work more closely with [colleague], I feel their operational skills compliment mine
Role ideas for Relationship Builders:
Account Management
Partnerships or Business Development
Program Manager
Community Manager
Creative Producer
Talent Relations
Diplomat
Mediator
Account Management
Partnerships or Business Development
Program Manager
Community Manager
Creative Producer
Talent Relations
Diplomat
Mediator
Your Flow Zone is just the first step…
It represents the strengths that should be at the heart of your role to support your alignment and flow.
But you will also need to clearly define your interests and environmental priorities to create a career North Star that points you towards an energizing career you love.
You have to actually be interested in the work and be working in an environment that supports your lifestyle priorities to thrive 😉
It's all outlined in The Career Fulfillment Playbook: the foundational concepts everyone needs in place to create a career that feels like an extension of who you are and how you want to live your life.
