There is a wonderful Japanese word, “nemawashi,” whose rough translation is to “prepare the roots.” Although the word was borrowed from famously patient Japanese gardeners, every Japanese businessperson understands its meaning.

A gardener would use the term “nemawashi” to describe the infinite and time-consuming pains he or she might take in preparation for transplanting a small tree. The whole process might take several years -- the time necessary to “prepare the roots” so that the little tree can stand the shock of being uprooted.

The same care and patience are necessary in many complex business tasks -- opening a new market, educating customers about additional uses for your products, even training your most promising young employees. Not everything important can be accomplished in a day, a month or even a year.

“Nemawashi” can be a valuable reminder that patience and care can accomplish things that sheer managerial drive cannot.

I’m not exactly a patient person. I’m more of the persuasion that says, “I want patience ... AND I WANT IT RIGHT NOW.” In fact, I once went in to have my patience tested and found out I’m negative.

Like any entrepreneur who is starting a business, you want it to grow as fast as possible. You have big dreams and want to realize them quickly. It was no different when I was building my envelope manufacturing company. However, it’s important to avoid the “ready, fire, aim” process.

Jumping to hasty decisions is not good. A lack of patience can cloud judgment, diminish credibility and damage relationships. Impatience can make you look desperate.

And yet, current culture has programmed us to expect immediate results.

I learned that in order to establish patience, you have to create realistic expectations. Things seldom happen overnight. Often you need to take a slow, methodical approach to allow good things time to develop. The objective is to keep moving forward and to acquire skills and knowledge as you progress.

Patience is a key element of success in the workplace, no matter what your role is. I understand the old adage that good things come to those who wait. That’s why patience often leads to happiness.

Remember the marshmallow test, which was created by psychologist Walter Mischel. It is one of the most famous psychological experiments ever conducted. The test lets young children decide between an immediate reward (one marshmallow), or if they delay gratification, a larger reward (multiple marshmallows). Studies showed that children who were patient were much more successful later in life.

The wonderful thing about patience is that it goes a long way, and yet the more we use it, the more we have.

Patience also allows you to gather all the facts and make better decisions after seeing the big picture. Patience enables you to reach your goals by being consistent and persistent if you are dedicated and determined.

Patient people don’t allow their emotions to overwhelm them. They are in control and accept challenges without becoming rattled. Patience is waiting without worrying.

But there’s another old saying that helps maintain a reasonable balance: “If you wait until it’s perfect, you’ll be waiting a long time.” Remain alert and know when it is time to make a decision and move forward.

Perhaps you are familiar with the lessons in patience one learns in growing bamboo. One of my favorite stories is about a Chinese farmer who decided to plant bamboo seeds. He dug holes, planted the seeds and then marked their locations. He faithfully watered those seeds every day. After a year, nothing had sprouted. He kept at it for another year, but still no sign of life.

Another year of watering and tending the marked locations, but no results. By then his neighbors were starting to question his devotion to the bare soil. Yet he persisted.

So, for a fourth year, he watered and watched. But not even one of those seeds showed any promise. He refused to give up. And for a fifth year, he tended those seeds as though they were his family.

One day, as he was watering his little plot, he saw a green sprout peeping through. It seemed to grow right before his eyes! It grew and grew, and within six weeks, those sprouts had reached 90 feet tall. His bamboo forest had come to fruition, all because his patience paid off.

Mackay’s Moral: A person without patience is like a car without brakes.

One of the things I’ve missed most during the pandemic is getting together and networking. Networking is part of my DNA. No cocktail parties, fundraisers, association meetings and so on for the last couple years has been troubling for me, and I’m sure for many of you as well.

The No. 1 line from my networking book, “Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty,” is: “If I had to name the single characteristic shared by all the truly successful people I’ve met over a lifetime, I’d say it is the ability to create and nurture a network of contacts.”

Networking is that important for business. In my entire career, I have never once heard a successful person say he or she regretted putting time and energy into their network.

Author Porter Gale said, “Your network is your net worth.”

Networking is not a numbers game. The idea is not to see how many people you can meet; the idea is to compile a network of people you can count on.

For most people, networking is a learned behavior, like learning to swim. It is a gradual process of trial and error, small incremental steps and finally a few breakthroughs.

If you want to practice, start with your family and extended family and then their extended families. Your network is potentially the size of your contacts, plus all your relatives’ contacts, your friends’ contacts, your business associates’ contacts and so on. I like to say when two people exchange dollar bills, each has only one dollar. However, when two people exchange networks, they each have two networks.

Four of the best groups I know for networking are alumni clubs, industry associations, social clubs and hobby groups. Some universities have better alumni networks than others, but every school -- even every high school -- has an alumni club.

Trade groups are happy hunting grounds for networking in all kinds of ways. In fact, I recently was at the spring meeting of the Envelope Manufacturers Association in my role as chairman of MackayMitchell Envelope Company.

Golf clubs, social clubs and athletic clubs are extremely important parts of a person’s network. More deals probably are closed in these places than in all the offices in the country combined. (Well, maybe not quite as many, but how else to justify the time and expense to our spouses and bosses?)

And hobbies have always been a terrific way to make contacts across a broad and diverse spectrum, because buffs often are scattered all over the map and can be found in all income, age and social groups.

And if you haven’t mastered the incredible reach of the internet, using sites like LinkedIn, you are missing out on an enormous opportunity. Of course, there’s a Facebook group for every interest, including all aspects of business. I’ve established international contacts who used to be accessible only through well-timed phone calls or overseas travel.

As the pandemic continues to recede, there are more opportunities for in-person networking. If you’re out of practice or new to the whole networking thing, remember these basic tips for making a positive impression:

-- Be your authentic self. Don’t try to put on an act when you first meet someone. Smile, be friendly, and most of all, be yourself. Other people will respond to an open attitude.

-- Develop your story. Produce a short narrative for yourself, describing who you are and what you want to accomplish in life. Keep it short and simple -- you don’t want to overwhelm a new acquaintance with your life story, just give them a glimpse into your personality.

-- Target the right people. Don’t try to establish a relationship with everyone you meet. Identify people in your industry who can help you with knowledge and insight, and whom you can help as well.

-- Do some homework. Before going to a networking event like a happy hour or industry conference, find out who is going to be there so you can plan your approach. Do you know anyone already? Can a friend help you connect with someone new? Be prepared.

-- Stay open. Although you may have an idea of what kind of people you want to connect with, don’t write anyone off too quickly. Sometimes a person from a different industry has experiences or insights that can be valuable to you. Get to know people to assess whether they merit staying in contact with.

Mackay’s Moral: The more you exercise your networking muscles, the stronger they get -- and the easier networking becomes.

A Russian poet who was visiting a wealthy American in his home noticed a huge, magnificent moose head mounted on the wall. He asked his host how he could shoot such an impressive animal.

“It was easy,” said the American. “He didn’t look me in the eye. If he had looked me in the eye, I couldn’t have shot him.”

My good friend Nido Qubein, president of High Point University, told me this story to illustrate the power of establishing eye contact.

“When you look people in the eye, they become more than passing acquaintances,” Nido said. “They become people with whom you interact, if only briefly.”

He added: “When speaking to anyone, whether it’s your mother or an audience of thousands, try to establish eye contact. If you don’t, your listeners may tune you out.”

Numerous studies conducted over the years have confirmed that eye contact plays an important role in both verbal and nonverbal communication. A person can communicate with their eyes and never say a word.

Susan C. Young, in her book “The Art of Body Language: 8 Ways to Optimize Non-Verbal Communication for Positive Impact,” writes: “One simple glance can convey to your recipient that you are ... present, interested, paying attention, being respectful, listening, confident, engaged, caring, dedicated, appreciative, emphatic, focused, supportive, trustworthy, acknowledging, excited. This list barely scratches the surface; however, it opens the conversation about how vital your eye contact is for making positive first impressions.”

Unfortunately, eye contact has become somewhat of a lost skill. Many people seem to be constantly looking down at their smartphone, even though individuals are right in front of them. You might need to disconnect to connect with people.

Making eye contact is a skill that can be learned. It might take a little practice, but it can have a significant impact on your work and personal life.

The first step is to just relax and smile. A smile generally puts others at ease. Everything seems much easier with a smile.

Next, practice eye contact with people you trust, such as family and friends, even pets. Use a mirror, or record yourself on your smartphone. Practicing will help you overcome nervousness and gain confidence.

No one said this is easy, so practice regularly to increase your comfort level. Over time, eye contact should become automatic, but you must challenge yourself to improve and push the boundaries to continue to grow.

Studies show that you should maintain eye contact twice as much when listening than when you are talking to show you are paying attention. People expect you to look them in the eyes, because if you don’t, they think you are rude. Also, lean in and show that you are interested.

Caution: Don’t overdo it! You don’t want to stare, so look away every once in a while -- to the side, not up or down. Pick a focal point near the eyes. Some suggestions are to look at only one eye, as I have done for years, or eyebrows, forehead, mouth or one ear. The important point is to shift your gaze. Be careful not to be robotic.

Remember that the other person may be feeling just as awkward. There is nothing wrong with putting a little space between you and the other person.

Observe the masters or role models like news anchors. When you are watching and listening to a speaker, observe their eye contact and make note of what works best.

In this era of video calls, eye contact is still important. I can’t tell you how many people look up or down during Zoom meetings. Put your laptop on a pile of books so the camera is directly across from your eyes. And one of my biggest complaints on Zoom calls is individuals who are always looking at their other devices. It's fine if you want to check them occasionally, but be attentive to the people who are virtually in front of you.

According to the Greek philosopher Aristotle, good eye contact shows the intangible characteristic of integrity. In other words, when you’re telling the truth, good eye contact tells the other person that you are credible.

Mackay’s Moral: Looking into someone’s eyes changes the entire conversation.