What are some effective ways to build a professional relationship with a former colleague?

Building relationships with former colleagues is a very important part of expanding your network. I often find many are not even connected on LinkedIn to their former colleagues. It is very important to connect on their profile page with a personalized message. Schedule an in-person coffee, breakfast, lunch or virtual meeting. Set up a minimum of 30-60 minutes for that reconnection meeting. I encourage you to set your own goals and agenda on what you would like to accomplish during that first meeting. I always focus on the other person. It is so important to ask great questions and listen. Always ask, "How can I help you?" at some point during the conversation. Set a cadence for your next meetings to build on your relationship.

1. Regular communication is key. Send occasional messages or emails to catch up. This keeps the relationship active and shows genuine interest. 2. If you come across job openings, training, or networking events that might interest them, share these opportunities. It's a thoughtful way to show you're looking out for their professional growth. 3. Be open to offering assistance or advice if they're facing professional challenges. This demonstrates your willingness to support them beyond the workplace. 4. Congratulate them on their professional milestones. Recognition of their success fosters a positive bond. 5. Like, comment & share their professional posts on platforms like LinkedIn. This shows your support for their career.

Building a professional relationship with a former colleague involves staying in touch and showing genuine interest in their career. Start by connecting on LinkedIn and periodically engage with their posts. Reach out with personalized messages or emails to catch up or comment on any significant career moves they've made. Suggest meeting for coffee or a virtual chat to discuss your respective professional journeys and industry trends. Offer assistance or resources that might be beneficial to them and be open to helping with their requests. Share relevant articles or information to show you value the relationship. Maintaining consistent, thoughtful communication helps strengthen professional bonds over time.

There's no question that it can be awkward to reconnect with someone you've been out of touch with for a while. A few thoughts can help: 1) Be honest. Acknowledge it's been a while and you're not letting another day go past without reconnecting! 2) If it's someone you didn't know THAT well, or it's been a while, consider a brief "reminder" sentence. "I was just reading an article about HRIS implementations gone wild, and it reminded me about how you and I were up to our necks in bugs back at ACME co 10 years ago. It made me think of you and want to reach out to see how things are going in your world." 3) If you hope to take the conversation live, like a phone call or zoom or even in person, build up to that after reconnecting rapport.

It is important to be cordial and recognise the fact that companies may change but people do remain the same across industries. Stay cordial, continue keeping in touch when it comes to wishing during festivals and do share any kind of work that you are implementing in your new workspace. Genuine gratitude does go a long way in terms of being grateful to all those who either helped, taught or mentored you in your previous job. By taking these simple steps I truly believe you can continue being cordial and add value to all your ex employees in the previous work space.