Think about the last time you saw someone that you haven’t talked with or seen in some time. Why have you fallen out of touch? Is this someone you want or need to keep close?
Sandra Lewis told me a story recently about staying in touch. A Dallas-based chef and founder of Life At The Table, Sandra has an association with a group of people from a common former employer. They all worked for a local office of a national insurance company. Long after most of the group had left the employer, the group has stayed together and socializes on a regular basis. A sort of “alumni association.”
“I’ve known some of these people nearly twenty years,” Sandra told us. “When we get together, it’s like time has not passed. And our friendships have endured.”
The key to this sort of association is that it was about the common connection of the people involved, rather than the work or company. Sure, they all started out with the common link of the employer. But the need to be associated with the work or company, ceased to be important as time went on. Now, nearly 20 years later, most of the group still meets for dinner, lunch or drinks on a regular basis. And few work for the same company or even the same industry.
A few things to remember about maintaining relationships:
- Remember all relationships have a lifespan. It might be a few hours or years or lifetime.
- Stay in touch. Write, call, text, stop by, go to lunch or dinner, have drinks, but be respectful of time and gauge your connection by how well you the persons or people.
- Be honest with yourself and with those in your network.
- Know when it is just social and when it is business. And they can be both.
With connections come the opportunities to connect with new employers and industries. A continuing, dynamic network. So, don’t give up on old connections. Just clean up the contacts and recharge.
Relentless
