One of my new favorite types of communication is the mini-update from former colleagues. These come in a variety of ways (social apps, texts, calls, emails) and frequencies (once a month, once a quarter, once a year).
In addition to saying hello, most of these communications fall into three types: question/advice request and/or appreciation and/or update. The question/advice request has varied from requests for help looking for new employment to any advice on best practices. One person’s final text was just to thank me for still being available to answer questions. My response without hesitation was “always” and I completely meant it. That’s the thing about truly investing in people over the project, you don’t stop investing. So if I can help, of course!
The other type is the appreciation. Who wouldn’t love a Facebook message that simply says “I was talking about you the other day and wanted you to know you were one of the best bosses I’ve ever had”. I mean seriously?!?! That will make anyone’s day.
But the one that I really want to talk about is the update type. I absolutely cherish getting updates from people. Some examples of my favorites lately: a text message about receiving an award for their leadership, an email about deciding to take on a new role in the company outside of their comfort zone, a linkedIn message highlighting the growth of mentoring skills, and a phone call to cover a wide spectrum of updates about family and work. I tried to reflect on why I love these so much. I came to this conclusion: I’m super excited for continuous growth, they are excited by continuous growth and they wanted to share it with me. A few mention something along the lines “of I don’t want to bother you” but seriously, there is no max limit to the number of these types that I want to receive. I hope they never stop!!!
What do you value about mini-updates from your past?
