You can't improve company culture without measuring it

When trying to build solid business relationships, Shari Harley suggests reaching out to a potential partner at least three times and if there is no response or meetings keep getting canceled, walk away. "Don't chase people. The people who are interested in fostering a good working relationship will make the time and be willing to be uncomfortable," Harley writes.

Put it into practice: When reaching out to business partners, offer to have conversations on how they like to communicate or talk about what's working and what's not -- anything to boost the working relationship, writes Harley, but don't be annoying. "You are not the Golden Retriever of the workplace. Nor are you the 7-11 -- always open."

Marc Morial, the president and CEO of the National Urban League, learned early in life that as a Black man he would have to work twice as hard to succeed, a philosophy that allowed him to follow in his father's footsteps to become the mayor of New Orleans, where he got to use his skills bringing diverse people together. "It's about being strong enough to assert and defend but also being wise enough to listen and modify if you must. That is my thing -- you have to learn how to listen and see things and modify when the moment is right," says Morial.

You might call it a case of "Schrodinger's Gretzky" -- an anonymous investor has purchased an unopened box containing 100,000 1979-80 professional hockey cards for $3.1 million on the chance that there could be up to 27 Wayne Gretzky rookie cards within, which could fetch up to hundreds of thousands of dollars each. A Canadian man, cleaning out his attic, came upon the box from the now-defunct O-Pee-Chee candy and trading card brand.

I had a "no chasing" rule when I led my spiritual community. If new people came and gave us their information, we'd reach out three times, and if there was no response or they did not return, we stopped. I had the same rule with folks who attended regularly and then stopped. We reached out to check on them, and if there was no response after several attempts, we stopped.

I have heard that some people like to be "chased" -- especially by spiritual communities -- but, like Shari Harley writes, at some point, you have to conserve your time and energy for those who are already open to building a relationship with you or your company.

Pay attention to the people in the room -- or the customers you already have -- instead of chasing someone who is clearly not genuinely interested.

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