When it comes to business relationships, the word “strategic” is seen as a buzzword by some and a bad word by others. Here’s a thought: let’s take the buzz and the bad out of the conversation and just go with strategic for now.

In my view, there are three types of strategic relationships that can help you professionally: those that help you through the day, those that help you do your job better, and those that help you get to the next job.

The first is the type that can simply help you have a better day. These are people to eat lunch with, tell jokes with and dissect last night’s “Grey’s Anatomy” with. Knowing enough about the people you work with to have amenable conversations with them is strategic. It makes going to work more pleasant, more interesting and can keep you off the ledge after a particularly strenuous day.

The second type helps you do your job better. These are the colleagues you work with daily, those in other departments you work on projects with periodically and the IT guy (or gal). These are people who have knowledge, skills and aptitudes that you do not. Share your expertise with them. Don’t have any expertise? Wow, then you must have pictures on someone. Ahem. Then simply share your interest in these people, their work and their success. The more interested you are, the more interesting you become.

The third type of strategic business relationship helps you get to the next job. This is someone who works in the department you’d like to work in or does the type of work you are interested in learning. It can also be your boss. Or it might be someone who works at the company you’d like to work for someday.

Find out what these people are working on and find ways to help them. It might be by passing on an article or a blog relevant to their job. It might be an introduction you can make for them. Your uncle’s barber might be just the guy they’ve been dying to meet. Or simply show a genuine interest in their success. Once again, the more interested we are, the more interesting we become.