Relationships function as infrastructure for process navigation. Knowing someone with relevant position or knowledge changes how processes unfold. Relationships provide information about what processes really require, access to people who can help, flexibility in how requirements apply, and trust that reduces verification needs.
This isn’t necessarily about improper influence—it’s about how processes actually work when formal systems are incomplete. An employee who knows colleagues across departments navigates approvals more effectively. A business person with established relationships accesses credit and flexibility unavailable to strangers.
When working in Indian contexts, invest in relationships with people involved in processes you need to navigate. Relationship building is process navigation capacity building. Understand that those without relationship networks face processes without facilitation—this is a real disadvantage that affects outsiders and newcomers.
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