How to Keep up with Your Network so it Never Becomes Overwhelming to

1. Categorizing Your Connections

An important first step is taking the people you'd like to stay in touch with and categorizing them. There is no single correct way to do this, it's unique to every person based on industry, background, and goals. But think about it, even within your network, you wouldn't keep up a relationship with a best friend that moved out of town the same way you would a boss from a former job. 

I like to have four main groupings that I usually create sub groups within:

• Friends and family: People I have very personal relationships with. These are the people who keep me grounded and put me back on track when I tie up too much of my worth in work.

• Professional friends: These are friendships that started as a professional acquaintance but then I connected deeply with them on their mindset, goals, or interests. 

• Past colleagues and classmates: These are people I worked or went to school with. Those who I held high respect for and learned a ton from, but operate in very different worlds than me.

• Potential real relationships: These are the new people I've only met once or twice but felt I've connected with really well and have the potential to create a lasting connection.

Each group I keep in touch with in different ways and for different reasons. I even create subgroups to further refine my strategy.

But don't go crazy with it. Try this with ~10 people you'd like to do a better job of keeping in touch with if you are just starting out.

2. Making Time for Connections

Sometimes making time for relationships is a forcing function of the role you are in. If you are a consultant, investor, salesperson, or another role where staying relevant results in a business outcome, you need to make time for connections. By being the go-to person for something, your relationships come to you for a service or will refer others to you.

Other times, your role is less dependent on relationships, but you still need them (even if you don’t think so!). It becomes harder to keep in touch because you prioritize work, deadlines, and other priorities over remaining relevant. But your relationships will be what helps you navigate difficult situations, enter new roles, generate business in more intentional ways, and help create a sense of self that is not tied to one thing (like work!).

Making time comes down to figuring out what works best for you. Some people schedule certain days of the week where they block 15 minutes to an hour for reconnecting and deepening relationships. Others fit it into their routines. Some great examples of the latter include

• Making sure to send a message to one connection each time you ride the subway

• Picking 4-5 contacts to call when driving for any extended period of time. You will usually get a hold of at least one person to catch up.

3. Remaining Relevant

Once you've organized your contacts and figured out how to make time for relationships, the only thing left to do is keep in touch. This is the part you can get creative with. I think about this in three main ways: nudges, helping, and bringing people together.

Nudges: quick ways to show someone you are thinking about them.

• Reaching out around birthdays, holidays, or milestones that have meaning to your specific relationship

• Sharing content they would find interesting such as news, podcasts, recommendations, or articles of mutual interest

• Congratulations for individual or company milestones like promotions, life events, and accomplishments

Helping:

• Making relevant introductions or referrals

• Giving advice and perspectives if they are looking for them

Bringing people together: Whether it is one-on-one, small group events, or large informal gatherings

• Making sure to call or meet with important connections from time to time

• Curating experiences that are large or small. This could be having a few people out to an intimate dinner, getting a group together for an activity like soccer, or hosting larger gatherings for people that have similar interests

These are just some of the things in your utility belt you can use to stay on top of your network.

What I’m committing to this week for building relationships (time commitment ~6.5 hours):

• ⚽ Co-hosting Pitch on the Pitch: Soccer Networking for Tech, on Thursday at 7pm ET. Sign up here! (~2 hours)

• 🍻 Meeting new connections at one of David Yakobovitch’s Tech Community Happy Hours (~2 hours)

• 🍽 Catching up with a former co-worker over dinner (~2 hours)

• 🤔 Reflecting on my week this Friday: What other ways can I work “remaining relevant” with important contacts into my routine? (~30 minutes)

What are you committing to this week? Reply to this email!