How Strong Are Your Connections?

As we launch into a new year, my practice is to reflect on the year past and focus on the future. While no longer participating in the exercise of “making resolutions,” I do, however, identify goals. Goals that help ensure I execute on those priorities of importance to me.

I’ve lived in the Washington area my entire life.  I’ve spent my entire professional career developing relationships with my colleagues, clients, my team and the community.  Together we combine to form one connected ecosystem.  The quality of these relationships is what drives a great degree of the success that my team and I can have in making an impact. The quality of these relationships is often a reflection of the level of commitment invested in them.

One of my goals for 2013 is to enhance the quality of these relationships that I so truly value. How that may show up for me is to ensure I’m reaching out and being intentional about connecting. One can’t delegate a relationship and expect to maintain it long. Engage them. Learn about the people in your life. What motivates them, what are their strengths, their goals, their passion?  Lead the conversation.  Be open to recognizing that the most important conversation in our companies, with our families and maybe even ourselves, is the one that we often are not having.

Last week I was intentional about calling people I hadn’t connected with in some time. People I admire, respect and enjoy being around. I called one or two each day on the way into the office and on the way home. As a result, I found that my own energy level and optimism soared after our reconnection.  If that happened in just one week with just a few calls, I can’t even imagine what will happen after a whole year’s worth of reconnecting…but I suspect it will be incredible!

As a society, we often place great value on “networking,” yet it’s the relationships that hold value. And there is no guarantee that networking builds relationships.  If we took a moment to reflect, we would agree that we’ve built a lifetime of relationships.  My goal this year is to do a better job of nurturing those relationships being intentional in my outreach and my engagement.  And for me, my goals are always easier to stay focused on when I “share them out loud” ensuring I hold myself accountable.  It’s too easy not to execute on our intentions.  Maintaining the relations I value is too important to allow that to happen.

Wishing you a new year that exceeds your expectations!