Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time

Readers are advised to write down the Relationship Action Plan as a guide for connecting and establishing their reputation in a community. The RAP is divided into three parts. The first part involves writing down goals that will help to fulfill the individual’s mission. The second part involves connecting those goals to the people, places, and things that will facilitate the completion of one's mission. The third part is reaching out to people who will help the individual’s mission succeed.

Step One of the RAP is to find and learn everything about a specific passion. After finding a passion, the individual is to conduct a self-assessment of one’s current state of mind, strengths, and weaknesses. Then the person asks people in their network what they think the individual’s strengths and weaknesses are. Step Two is to put the goals in writing. The authors insist that the RAP be written down. Having intentions on paper, they say, increases the conviction of the goal. “An unwritten wish is just a dream” (33). These goals must be specific and believable. Step Three is to create a personal board of advisors. External vetting is important, even for the best-conceived plans. This board of advisors should be made up of people who can support and critique the work and ideas fairly.