Rekindling Contacts in the Holidays

Pointsettias, Credit: Emily Giacomini

Do you have lots of professional contacts on LinkedIn with whom you haven’t been in touch for years? Feeling a bit awkward about reaching out . . . or maybe you don’t even remember how you first met them?! Don’t worry, you’re not alone- it’s much easier to acquire contacts than to nurture relationships. 

With the end of the year approaching and the holidays coming soon, people are more open to re/connecting with others so it’s a perfect time to reach out.

Consider dropping a short note to contacts with whom you’d like to stay in touch. The Message app on LinkedIn is a handy way to send someone a quick hello. They’ll see it when they next log in and may get an email alert about it, depending on their settings. You could write a few lines by way of update eg. “Thrilled to have launched a coaching and speaking business earlier this year. How was your 2021? I’d love to touch base and hear how things are going. Let me know what works for a chat!” Or if you’d rather not commit to calls, keep it simple with a sincere, “Happy Holidays to you and yours and all the best for a fulfilling 2022!”

To add a bit more structure to your efforts, go to the Search bar and type “Export Connections” to download a copy of your LinkedIn contacts. You can sort and mark those with whom you’d especially like to stay in touch and even find emails for some, so you could send a longer note.

If you’re contemplating a career or job shift, think about requesting 30 minutes with contacts who do a similar role to what you envision you may enjoy. Bring insightful questions to learn from their experience. During the holidays most offices need some kind of coverage, even virtually, so it may turn out to be a fortuitous window in which to find former colleagues or professional friends who are on the clock, yet not busy with the normal hum-drum of business.

If you have the chance to join any in-person gatherings, even with family members, take the chance to be curious about the changes and new interests the last 12-18 months have brought to their lives. Be ready with a brief summary of your latest news and any projects or dreams on which you could use advice or referrals. People are wired to support by linking friends with relevant information and contacts who could help.

All the best with rekindling connections this holiday season!