Relationship Maintenance

You likely (and hopefully) have reference relationships, people in your back pocket that you believe to be in your corner and ready to act as a professional reference for you or help you out when you call. When is the last time you checked-in on those reference relationships? To see how they are doing. Congratulate them on their progress. Share something of value. Offer to help. Take them out for lunch. Have you let things lapse so much that their strong reference and unwavering support may be less readily available?

5-Min Move: Touch base with a Lapsed Reference Relationship

1. Pick someone that you feel slightly guilty about. Someone you haven’t touched base with for longer than is right.

2. Check out their feed(s). On LinkedIn. Or other public platforms. What have you missed in their life since you last connected?

3. Reach out. Touch base. Tell them you were thinking about them. Make it sincere.

What can you share?

• That you were thinking of them

• Offer to help

• Congratulations on their progress / professional moves

• Make a connection to another human, a resource, an article, etc.

• Update them on what you are up to

Repeat with other important reference relationships, or indeed anyone that is important to you. Do it today (or tomorrow at the latest). You will feel better. I promise.