Humans are social creatures. One of the biggest predictors of happiness is whether you have a thriving social network — people who will look out for you and care about you as a person.
Of course, we’re all busy these days, and finding time to build up a network outside of your immediate colleagues (who you see most days) and your immediate family (ditto) isn’t easy. Between commutes and work and household chores, how can you connect with the rest of the universe?
Long term, it’s worth switching up your schedule to find time for friends and colleagues outside your own company. Not only does this remind you that there is a world outside your job, if things ever go wrong professionally, you’ll need this network to come to your aid. You can have lunch with someone every other week, and even try my personal favorite, the networking playdate (getting together at a playground, for instance, with a professional acquaintance who has kids the same age).
But here’s something you can do right now: take 5 minutes, and send an email to an old friend or colleague and ask how she’s doing. Say you were thinking about her because… surely there’s a reason. You just remembered something funny that happened when you all worked together. You saw another acquaintance you have in common. Update her on your life. Even if you’re Facebook friends and she may have heard (from your postings) about what you had for breakfast this morning, there’s something far more meaningful about a personal, one-on-one contact.
Do this every day for a month. Worst case scenario, some of these emails will be ignored. Most likely scenario, you’ll wind up reconnecting with a few folks — getting a few more social events on your calendar, and hence strengthening your social network. Best case scenario? Use your imagination! People make amazing things happen, from job offers to introducing you to future business partners, to letting you use their beach house for the weekend. You may also be able to help someone out — introducing him to a new client or setting him up for a date — which is also a great way to build a network.
Best of all? Reaching out takes very little time. It’s certainly a better use of 5 minutes before that next boring conference call than playing Angry Birds.
What’s the best thing that’s happened to you because of a “How are you?” email?
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