'Networking' can have a bad name. It seems like a sleazy thing involving business card exchanges and cocktail parties.
But building relationships and keeping them current is a good and healthy and normal thing.
Driving home from a family holiday the other day, Nikki and I were chatting about how it's important even in a family context.
One of the hardest and most stressful things is to have to deal with a family crisis with your adult siblings. Your parents are ageing or ill, or one of the nieces or nephews have gone off the rails, a marriage is on the rocks or there are major financial or alcohol problems. It's so hard to 'talk business' with your siblings. It can lead to awkward exchanges and even nasty conflicts. Misunderstandings abound as siblings pair off to plan and scheme on the phone without including others.
Keeping relationships current with your extended family is a massive help in preparing for these seasons. If you don't bother with birthdays, Christmases, family gatherings and so on because they are 'such a bore', 'so fake', or 'too much effort', then you will be totally out of practice in relating to your siblings when a crisis hits. There won't be any relational money in the bank. You won't be in a good groove.
But there sheer regular effort of talking together, eating together, smiling at each other all sets you up to be in a better position when you need to sit down across the kitchen table and talk about a big issue.
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