The most valuable opportunities in life—both personally and professionally—come through your network; from the people you know and trust.
But there’s a catch: It’s not just about the people you know and trust. That’s only half the equation. Equally important are those who know and trust you.
That’s why it’s so important to continuously invest in your network. Many people assume this means time-consuming, long-game-focused interactions with your professional relationships, but that isn’t always the case.
Let’s take a look at five simple habits you can begin implementing today to achieve immediate and measurable results in your personal and professional relationships.
#1: Practice (and Preach) Intentional Positivity
During interactions and conversations with others, you probably think positive thoughts about the other person fairly often. For example:
- “That’s a really insightful way to look at the situation,”
- “Wow, she handled that ordeal really well,“ or
- “I really admire the way he manages his team.”
For most of us, those positive, uplifting, and empowering thoughts stay thoughts.
But when you hold on to a thought like that, you cheat yourself out of a valuable opportunity to make the other person feel great about themselves.
So, the next time you think something genuinely positive about another person, let them know.
For example: Imagine you’re meeting with a client—a senior partner at a law firm. Also present is a junior associate, and during the conversation, they offer a unique solution to a problem.
You might think to yourself, “He’s really on the ball!“ But instead of keeping that thought to yourself, share it! Say, “I think the way you’ve tackled this situation head-on is great.“
Even if their proposal isn’t ultimately used, you still made this person’s day by acknowledging their contribution.
Moreover, you acknowledged their contribution in front of a senior partner, making the acknowledgment all the greater.
Mindmaven Pragmatics #1: Express Positivity During Your Next Interaction
We are often presented with the opportunity to voice positive thoughts throughout the day, but we typically underutilize it.
Make this commitment to increase your awareness of these opportunities: Next time you have a great meeting with someone, let them know.
Send a follow-up email saying something like, “Hey, I really enjoyed our conversation. You had some really insightful perspectives. I hope we get the chance to do this again soon.”
At Mindmaven, we call the practice of consistently delivering small, uplifting experiences to those around you Positive Alacrity.
This skill takes just a few seconds each day to create moments that can have a profoundly positive impact on others—and we’ve seen it lead to powerful, even life-changing results.
If you’re committed to enhancing your interactions, strengthening your personal and professional relationships, and living a happier, more fulfilling life, join our Positive Alacrity Challenge.
This challenge helps you build the habit of creating meaningful interactions through 10 daily exercises that take only 30-45 seconds.
Each scenario-based task is designed to instill positivity and leave a lasting impression on both your personal and professional relationships.
#2: Give Thanks (When it’s Least Expected)
It’s no secret that thanking someone is one of the easiest ways of showing appreciation. That’s why we often express thanks when we receive a gift or service.
And there’s nothing wrong with that: We should give thanks when thanks are due.
But if you really want to deepen your professional relationships, express gratitude out of the blue when people expect it least.
For example: Imagine six months ago, one of your clients introduced you to a marketing candidate after hearing you were hiring.
Now, six months later, you’ve hired the candidate, and they’re an absolute rock star. Looking back, it’s obvious this wouldn’t have happened without the introduction from your client.
Upon realizing this, you write a quick “thank you“ email update and ship it off. The email will take them by (pleasant) surprise, and they’ll appreciate that you took the time to follow up with them.
This will also increase the likelihood that they’ll go out of their way to provide you with value again in the future.
Moral of the story? Anytime something good happens, reflect on who made that experience possible. Then, reach out to them and give genuine thanks.
Mindmaven Pragmatics #2: Express Gratitude For Your Last Introduction
Think about the last person you were introduced to. Who made that introduction happen?
Identify that person, then send them a quick email expressing gratitude for the introduction. If you really want to make their day, share with them why that introduction was so valuable.
Need some inspiration on how to express meaningful gratitude within your professional relationships? Check out How to Write Unexpected Thank You Emails That Build Powerful Connections.
#3: Tap Into the Power of Personal Interests and Passions
One of the most effective ways to quickly deepen connections—both within your personal and professional relationships—is by tapping into someone’s personal interests and passions.
Have you ever noticed how conversations become more animated when someone starts discussing something they’re passionate about?
People light up when they talk about what they love, and sharing in that enthusiasm creates a natural connection.
For example: Rob might share that he enjoys kiteboarding on the weekends, while Mary could tell you about her love for RV trips with her husband.
These personal tidbits provide a great opportunity to find common ground, and when you do, your brain goes from thinking, “I am like you,“ to feeling, “I like you.”
This emotional connection lays a solid foundation for all personal or professional relationships—whether with a colleague, client, or even a friend.
Mindmaven Pragmatics #3: Incorporate Personal Interests into Your Next Conversation
The next time you’re in a meeting or networking situation, take note of any personal interests and passions shared.
You don’t need to force it—people often naturally share details about their weekend activities, personal interests, or even family updates in the flow of conversation.
The next time you communicate, referencing these personal details will make the other person feel remembered and valued, which can significantly deepen your professional relationships.
To ensure you don’t forget these personal details over time, use Meeting Debriefs—a powerful tactic for capturing important takeaways, including personal passions, after every conversation.
Want to learn how to incorporate this tactic into your routine? Check out Meeting Debriefs: 1 Simple Tactic to Supercharge Your Meetings and Deepen Your Relationships.
#4: Stop Hoarding Value
Every day, we come across dozens of things we find valuable or entertaining. For example …
- Books
- Blog posts
- Podcasts
- Videos
But here’s the thing most people don’t realize: If you find something valuable, there’s a very good chance at least a few people in your network would find it valuable, too.
What you just read, watched, or listened to could be exactly what someone else needs—and from that perspective, keeping it to yourself is selfish.
By sharing these pieces of content with your network, you establish yourself as a relevant and consistent source of value to your professional relationships.
Mindmaven Pragmatics #4: Share a Piece of Content with 5+ People
Think about the last piece of valuable content you consumed. What was it? Track it down, then ask yourself: “Who do I know that would find this valuable?”
Try to think of at least five people who would benefit from that piece of content, then write a quick email sharing it with them.
We call these items Value Payloads—small, high-impact deliveries of value that strengthen your professional relationships by showing that you’re thinking of others and looking for ways to help them.
To make this habit even more powerful, consider creating a Value Payload Repository. This is a simple database where you can store every valuable item you come across and share.
Instead of spending 10 minutes crafting each email, you can reduce it to 30 seconds by pulling from your repository.
Not only will this improve your efficiency, but it will also enhance the value you bring to your network, strengthening your professional relationships and keeping you top of mind when opportunities arise.
#5: Revitalize Dormant Relationships with a Quick Email
Go into your contact management system and find someone you haven’t emailed in a while, someone who might appreciate hearing from you. Then write them an email!
This email doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Sometimes just a simple, “Hey, just checking in. What’s new in your world?“ is all it takes to spark a meaningful conversation.
To illustrate just how powerful this can be, here’s a true story from one of our clients:
After learning that one of his former clients had recently made a career move and was now heading a 200-person team, he sent a quick email congratulating her.
That email arrived at just the right time, because she almost immediately replied saying, “I’m so glad you contacted me! I just took over this project and we really need your help.“
That single email ended up generating a $5M deal between them.
Mindmaven Pragmatics #5: Send One Email a Day to Someone Who Wouldn’t Otherwise Have Heard From You
Is every email going to be a home run? No. But think of it this way:
If you send one new email a day for the next year, that’s at least 260 new emails that wouldn’t otherwise have been sent.
While there are no guarantees in personal or professional relationships, in our experience, at least one of those emails will lead to an opportunity you wouldn’t otherwise have had.
And, sometimes, one breakthrough opportunity is all it takes to justify the 259 emails that never got a response.
Ready to commit to this daily habit but not sure how to start? Try our Five Freebies Notion Template.
This template provides five distinct outreach concepts you can use to deepen or rebuild professional relationships at any time.
Invest in What Matters Most
Here’s our final challenge to you: Turn these five simple actions into daily habits.
If you consistently deliver these simple but meaningful interactions to your network, it’s only a matter of time before you start generating breakthrough opportunities.
But even if it takes months (or even years), you’ll still be developing deep, meaningful connections with the people in your life who matter most.
And—opportunity generation or not—these relationships have the power to change your life.
An Invitation to Build the Habits That Lead to Superpowered Success
If this article inspired you to start building stronger personal and professional relationships, we’d love to help you take the next step.
These five habits are just the beginning of unlocking your true potential.
If you want to free up 12+ hours every week and create lasting, meaningful professional relationships that generate real results, we invite you to schedule a free 1:1 consultation with one of our coaches.
During this personalized call, we’ll identify your specific challenges and explore potential solutions to help you take your success to the next level.
