The joy of holiday networking

Stay in touch even without the holiday parties

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Good morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the New Corner Office,
the podcast where we share strategies for thriving in the
new world of work, where location and hours are more
flexible than in the past. Today's tip is to come
up with smart ways to connect with colleagues and others.
This holiday season, festivities will look different, but we can

(00:28):
still figure out ways to network well and start the
new year feeling more in touch than ever. In the past,
many organizations hosted an annual holiday party. It's one of
those traditions we don't think so much about, except that
it's always there. Oh yes, I need a babysitter for
some night in December or two, one for my spouse's

(00:51):
party and one for mine. You eat a bacon wrapped
scallop and raise a glass of champagne with people you
haven't really seen all year. Sometimes it's tedious, but it
serves a purpose reconnecting people with looser professional ties. Parties
do that, and holidays are an occasion for parties, except

(01:13):
not this year. Very few organizations are going to risk
cramming people into a party venue where frequent eating and
drinking makes mask wearing complicated. I'm not sure how many
office parties are going to be mourned. Hey, it's a
night where now you can just stay in and watch TV.
You don't have to be on your best behavior while

(01:34):
pretending to have fun. But still something is lost. So
we need to come up with other ways to connect.
The simplest way is to send holiday cards. Even if
you don't normally do this, this year is a good
one to start. You've seen far fewer people in person
in recent months, so the mail is a way to

(01:57):
stay in touch. I'd recommend doing a card where you
can actually write something. I know that people like those
photo postcards, but it turns out that you can do
a photo on a folded card and then write something
on the inside. This is far more personal, and yes
you have time. It takes just a minute or two
per card extra to jot off something personal about the year.

(02:20):
You might also consider a small gift. This is actually
a really good way to stand out from the mess
of holiday cards. Try to find something meaningful but not junkie.
Some people do something like Starbucks gift cards, and that's
kind of a nice touch. This year, in particular, we
can't grab coffee in person in many cases, so this

(02:41):
is another way for me to buy you coffee. To
really make it away to network, actually say that you
will be reaching out to the person to schedule a
virtual coffee and then do it call or email to
set up a time. But of course that's not the
only option. You could do. Small ornaments, maybe ones is
asociated with a nonprofit or a small business that you'd

(03:02):
like to support. Little notebooks and pens are pretty universally acceptable.
Candy cane type confections are festive. A direct donation to
a nonprofit that could use the help is a nice touch.
A few dollars to a food bank per holiday card
could pay for a lot of meals, and telling someone
that you have paid for twenty meals for a family

(03:24):
in their honor with your donation will probably make them smile.
In any case, if you think about it, you can
come up with some small gift that seems like you
for less than ten dollars per card. If you are
sending fifty cards, that's five dollars. If you're sending a hundred,
that's a max of a thousand dollars. Not nothing, of course,
but given that you aren't paying a babysitter for two

(03:46):
weekend nights for holiday parties. You might wind up making
some of that up. And if people take you up
on your virtual coffee offer, well, who knows what profitable
places that might lead. You can also take the ocasion
to just reach out. When you get a holiday card
from someone call You can email first if you'd like,

(04:07):
or just to pick up the phone. Use something from
their photo as a tie in. I love that photo
of you guys in the Grand Canyon. We're thinking of
going there next year. Any recommendations. The point is that
even when we can't get together in person, the holidays
could be an occasion for reconnecting with our weak ties.
Who do you usually talk to at your office party

(04:30):
or your spouse's office party. Who do you see only
once a year at your professional association's annual holiday lunch.
If you don't do anything, you won't see that person
this year. So figure out a way to connect for
alternative holiday networking and the season we'll still feel festive

(04:51):
in the meantime. This is Laura, Thanks for listening, and
here's the succeeding in the New Corner Office. The New
Corner Office is a production of I Heart Radio. For
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