Building Business Relationships Outside the Office -- with or Without the Drinking

In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, I thought I would revisit one of the most popular -- and contentious -- posts from our Monster Blog archives: Alcohol: Income Booster?

In that post, my former Monster colleague Maya pointed to a research study that linked drinking with increased earning power. According to the report, "drinkers earn 10 to 14 percent more than teetotalers, and…men who drink socially bring home an additional 7 percent in pay."

Does that mean you should start drinking to begin making your way up the corporate ladder? Hardly. But the article is a good reminder of the importance of spending time with coworkers, clients and other business colleagues outside of the board room, cubicle farm and company cafeteria. Whether that involves meeting for evening cocktails, chit-chatting in the hallways at a conference, or going out for a round of golf, strengthening existing relationships away from the office -- as well as starting new ones -- is the essence of networking. In fact, it could make the difference in landing you a new job or getting you that promotion you’ve been waiting for.

So if you’re not hitting up the local pub to toast the luck of the Irish with your workmates tonight, what are you doing this week to build better business relationships?

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