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106 It’s Not a Glass Ceiling, It’s a Sticky Floor

to time. They’ve also connected me to a greater sphere of people than
I would not have had access to otherwise. In addition to my long-time
constants, there have been people who have come to the forefront
during one crucial stage but who later faded away. For example, there
was a recruiter who helped me see that, more than a new job, I really
wanted to strike out on my own and he actually coached me through
the transition from corporate manager to entrepreneur.
Such good strategic relationships are not developed overnight,
though, and they don’t appear at one’s front door when you need
them. They take time, commitment, and energy to grow into some-
thing beneficial.
Chris Hipwell, who works in executive sales for Pfizer, says, “We
sometimes work in isolation because we want all the glory and recog-
nition. That is impossible. We are now evaluated on how we build an
inclusive and collaborative environment.” She continues, “You can’t do
it alone. When we put so much time into something all on our own
and it doesn’t work, we wonder why it didn’t. It’s because we didn’t
get others on board—get their endorsement. People can be strategic
about the business, but not strategic about relationships. Why? It takes
time to step back and look at the puzzle board and figure out the rela-
tionships we need to not only identify with but reach out to.”
Chris says that building strategic relationships calls for mapping
out a web of people who can help you with something you need or
are trying to do. “You have to be realistic. Know that it can take
time to connect with and influence people in your web. Sometimes
people will give up and say it takes too long or that they don’t know
where to start.”
For her part, Chris says that she often will tap on her sphere of rela-
tionships when she needs money to fund something in her organization:

The first thing I need to think about is, who also needs this and who
would benefit from this if it was a success. Then you need to know