How to Nurture Relationships in 5 Minutes

People Matter: Nurture Relationships

This past weekend I found some amazing shade from the August summer sun while sitting under this umbrella.  My daughter and I had stopped for a late breakfast at a local DeDutch, before finishing her back to school shopping. We were busy chatting and people watching.  I was incredibly focused on my time with her and it truly was lovely to connect for some one on one time. As a Mom, I work hard to nurture the relationships I have with my children. As an entrepreneur, I also work hard to nurture my local and global relationships.

I had ordered some tea with my breakfast.  It quickly arrived and right away I remembered why I love going to this particular restaurant.  Not only do they offer great gluten free options, but they have really nice teapots. Being a lover of tea, I quickly decided to share a picture of my cup of tea and the teapot on Instagram.  I was pretty sure that some of my online connections would appreciated the simple, yet lovely design of the teapot.  Within minutes Melissa Leon, Chief of Staff at Misfit Inc & Member of the 45 Conversations Global Advisory Team, had indicated her love of the teapot picture. Melissa and I were thousands of miles apart – yet in that moment we had shared a small but simple connection.

Later in the day, while wandering through shops with Emma, I came across a “great wall of teapots”. Immediately I thought of my earlier connection with Melissa and decided that I would share the teapots with her. I knew she would love them because I know that she appreciates all things food.  You see in her spare moments, Melissa shares stories about food over on Tasty Misfit.  Sure enough Melissa once again indicated her *love* for the picture.  One more time, we had connected across the miles.

What Do Teapots Have to Do With Nurturing Relationships?

So by now you might be wondering what all of this has to do with nurturing relationships. While the truth is actually quite a lot.  You see, we live in an amazing time of virtual connections & conversations.  The internet and social media tools afford us the opportunity to begin, nurture and grow relationships in simple but effective ways.

If we’re lucky, Melissa and I end up face to face a few times each year at various conferences and events. Yet, through social media, email and things like Go To Meeting we are able to stay in touch far more frequently.  These simple moments & connections enable us to deepen our relationship in ways that were previously not possible. Melissa is more than a “like” or “follow” to me.  She’s a true friend, an amazing colleague and someone I respect endlessly. I reach out to her because she matters to me. By sharing simple moments and pictures with her what I’m really saying is “I’m thinking about you and I value our relationship. I appreciate what you contribute to the world. You matter to me.”

Take 5 Minutes to Nurture Relationships

Here’s a few ideas to help you build connections and hold conversations with your network.  Really, it only takes 5 minutes here and there to nurture the relationships that matter to you.

• Make a list of 6-10 people that you would like to focus your energies on over the next few months and then act. Go out of your way to learn more about the people on your list. Find out what they’re working on and what interests them. Learn about their family. Reach out to them with helpful information, ideas or simple things that you know they will appreciate. Be generous with your time. Be genuine. Expect nothing in return.  Give for the sake of giving.

• Pick up the phone or jump in a G+ hangout and have a real conversation.  Tweets, comments and likes are wonderful – but they don’t replace true relationship building via conversation. Make sure you are taking the time to really talk with the people that matter to you. Schedule conversations with a few people each week.

• Commit to stay connected to certain key people in your network on an ongoing basis. Nurture and grow your relationships with them continuously. Work at it – 5 minutes at a time. Again and again. These people will become your allies, will hold you true to your values and even support you during your toughest moments. They will become an essential ingredient to your business and personal success.

Nurturing relationships doesn’t have to be complicated or scary. Keeping it simple and generous will carry you far. So, plan to take 5 minutes and reach out.  Do this over and over. Every single day. Before you know it; your world will be filled with amazing people, strong relationships and endless opportunities.