Connections – Use Them or Lose Them

Whether you’re a seasoned CEO or in the early stages of your professional journey, I’m willing to bet you have a contact list a mile long. Considering both social and professional introductions, we are all in the habit of collecting contact information – but what happens next?  In the long term, some of these contacts could have a profound influence on your career. But ultimately, connections are like umbrellas – only good if you put them to use.

Staying active in your network can yield so many social and business opportunities that you might never had considered otherwise. I have made many new friends just by reaching out from time to time. As it happens, I have also come across more than a few investment opportunities in the same way. Maybe your next professional outreach will result in nothing more than a polite conversation over coffee – the reality is that you won’t know unless you try.

Over time, I’ve learned to prioritize the messy business of keeping contact lists current and accessible. Imagine what that looks like after more than fifty years in business! However, we can help each other through this process by keeping our networks up to date. If you change jobs, send a timely announcement to your contact list. Share your new email, phone, and mailing address. Your well-developed list of acquaintances won’t matter much if no one can find you.

With a streamlined contact list in hand, your next challenge is to review your connections and start making plans. Schedule a lunch or two with contacts you do not know well or haven’t seen in a while. There is no downside, and you might just learn something new. If you are always eating lunch with the same people, you are very likely having the same conversation repeatedly. This does nothing to enhance your own personal or professional growth.

When I first moved to Tennessee in 1979, I brought along a solid list of my friends from New Jersey. I do my best to keep in regular touch with many of them during the year; and every December, I call a list of 30-plus people to wish them a happy holiday. What a way to solidify relationships! Staying in touch has more benefits than most of us realize. You could be learning about business, developing new friends, stumbling on an unexpected job opportunity, and so much more. When it comes to connections, remember to use them or lose them!

published: Nashville Business Journal