Relationship Building

At Level 2, you begin to actively grow relationships beyond your immediate team. You engage with peers across the engineering org and other closely related functions, learning how to build connection through shared work, empathy, and follow-through. You're not networking for the sake of networking—you're building bridges that support better outcomes and more resilient collaboration. Your relationships help you get context, solve problems, and contribute to a more supportive engineering culture.

Key Behaviors

  • Introduces self and connects proactively with engineers outside their team
  • Participates regularly in engineering-wide Slack channels, events, or initiatives
  • Follows up on cross-team conversations with clarity and gratitude
  • Builds rapport with cross-functional partners like PMs, CSMs, and sales
  • Notices when teammates or partners feel excluded and takes small steps to include them

Common Struggles

  • May default to transactional communication rather than relationship-building
  • Can hesitate to reach out when context is unclear or unfamiliar
  • May struggle to balance connecting broadly with delivering locally

Success Indicators

You know you're successful when you:

  • Have strong working relationships across teams and disciplines
  • Know who to talk to when questions arise outside your team
  • Are approachable, responsive, and constructive—even under pressure
  • Proactively build connection that supports better communication and collaboration

Mindset Shift

From:

"I connect with people I collaborate with."

To:

"I build relationships that span boundaries and create shared understanding."

Questions to Ask Yourself

  • What teams or functions do I rely on, but rarely talk to?
  • Who might benefit from context or support I can offer?
  • Where could I foster connection that helps the org move faster or better?

Build These Habits

  • 1
    Reach out to learn how other teams or roles work—not just when needed
  • 2
    Share credit and context across team lines
  • 3
    Offer to connect others who would benefit from knowing each other

Seek Feedback

  • "Is this a helpful way for us to stay connected?"
  • "How could we improve communication between our teams?"
  • "Is there anything I could do to be a better partner to your team?"

Signals You're Ready to Level Up

  • You're invited into conversations across teams because of your reputation
  • You help defuse tension or misalignment by offering clarity or connection
  • You're known as someone who brings people together and makes work more human

Focus Summary

  • Connect intentionally
  • Support generously
  • Build the org you want to be part of

At Level 2, relationships are your edge. You're expanding your network not for visibility, but for shared progress.