An end-of-year reflection on building professional connections
We’ve just wrapped up our 4th cohort of Navigating Emotions at Work 🥳 and I’m reflecting on the importance of connection, which has been central to my personal and professional life this year. Our next group begins in March 2025 - join the waitlist here!
Credit: Ave Calvar
It’s gray and rainy today in Belgrade. I just returned from my morning walk, a practice that’s become a non-negotiable in caring for my mental well-being during the darker winter months. On my walk, I sent off a few voice notes to friends across the ocean–a small way we stay connected. This got me thinking about the role of connection in both my personal and professional life.
During our final mastermind session of the year, Tomomi led a reflection on end-of-year correspondence, which inspired me to rethink how I’d like to nurture and grow my community in 2025. In this post, I’m sharing what I learned and some strategies for you to try out in the new year.
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Why relationship building matters
Whenever people ask me how we’ve grown Emotions at Work or how new clients discover my work, I tell them networking. And when clients ask me how they can accelerate their career development or job search, my answer is the same – networking! Or, as I prefer to call it, relationship building.
When you hear networking you might recoil or think “ugh, not that again”. I hear you! It’s gotten a bad rep and can feel forced, draining or transactional. But, it can also be a powerful source of genuine support, valuable feedback, meaningful partnerships, and inspiration. When I shift my mindset to focus on connection and the joy of being in conversation, it becomes a rewarding part of my work.
Rethinking gratitude and connection
Growing up, handwritten thank-you cards were a ritual in my family. 📨 Every gift I received was followed by a handwritten note of appreciation, a practice my mom instilled in me (even if my 13-year old self wasn’t always thrilled about it). As an adult, I turned this habit into a professional practice: sending thank-you emails after every informational coffee chat or job interview.
Somewhere along the way, I let this practice slip.
Tomomi's reflection exercise gave me a fresh perspective. It allowed me to step back and pinpoint what’s been making the ‘lift’ feel heavy or intimidating. And, it gave me the space to reflect on the incredible people I’ve met, meaningful conversations I’ve had, and clients I’ve worked with this year, and how I’d like to honor those connections.
Like many aspects of my work, I realized that focusing on how I want to feel (joyful, grateful, and connected) while nurturing these relationships is key to making the process more meaningful.
Questions and ideas to help you reflect
Here are a few questions and insights from Tomomi that helped me–and might inspire your own reflection:
Who do I want to reach out to?
One powerful takeaway from our session was the simple act of listing all the people I’d like to reconnect with or reach out to. Thinking about it in categories helped me identify people I may not have included before. Here are a few ideas to consider:
People you’ve collaborated or partnered with
Peers or colleagues
Clients (past, present or future)
Friends and family who’ve supported you and your work
Managers or bosses (past or present)
Mentors
Members of your online network
How do I want to connect with them?
Another helpful insight was exploring connection methods that feel enjoyable and authentic. I realized that sticking solely with email had made the process feel heavy. Considering other formats felt energizing and expansive. Here are a few ideas:
Handwritten notes or postcards
LinkedIn messages
WhatsApp messages
Quick phone calls
Voice notes (I love a good voice note!)
Personal emails
Newsletters
Sending something in the mail
What do I want to say?
This was the most eye-opening part for me. I realized I’d fallen into a habit of only sending thank-you notes after specific conversations, which left me missing other meaningful opportunities to connect. I’d also let elapsed time be the reason I didn’t reach out. Exploring different approaches helped me think creatively about how to reconnect. Here are some ideas:
Spread festive cheer: foster a sense of community with a joyful holiday note.
Acknowledge missed opportunities: say sorry for a missed follow-up or gap in communication.
Express gratitude: thank someone for their support, mentorship, or collaboration.
Promote engagement: share a subtle call-to action, like a request for feedback or an invitation to future collaboration.
Show you care: let someone know they’re appreciated and valued, reinforcing their importance to your work, career, or business.
Rekindle and rebuild connections: reopen communication with someone you’ve lost touch with.
Stay top of mind: send a thoughtful message to keep yourself or your business top of mind.
Putting it into practice
This season, I’m putting this into practice by reaching out to mentors who’ve helped guide me over the past three years, an old manager who profoundly impacted my career, our growing EAW alumni network, and an old colleague I’ve been wanting to reconnect with.
If this resonates, why not give it a try? The holiday season is a great time to send a thoughtful message. Start by making a list of people in your professional network and how you’d like to connect with them. Then, schedule some turtle time 🐢 to make it happen.
And if it feels daunting, lean on Kathleen’s advice: Iets is beter dan niets! (anything is better than nothing!).
Thank you for being here – I’m deeply grateful for you and your support!
Wishing you a joyful season of connection. 💌
Let’s work together
This month I’ve supported clients in clarifying their vision for their career, navigating the job search process, preparing for interviews, saying no and setting boundaries at work, and navigating challenges and big emotions at work.
I’d love to support you to do the same.
Send me a message or check out ways we can work together: from 1:1 coaching to participating in my group program Navigating Emotions at Work.