I realized recently that I used to do a lot better staying in touch, of keeping the lines of communication open with family members as well as customers, suppliers, and other people whose lives I impact and whose lives impact mine.

Sometimes we just get caught up in the day to day and before we know it, weeks, months, or even years have gone by when we haven’t reached out to someone important.

The amazing thing is, when we do, it re-opens the lines of communication and shock of shocks- people reciprocate. When it comes to customers, sometimes we have to be persistent. They may not respond to our first email or call, our second, or even our third, but eventually we’re likely to hear from them. What’s the alternative? Sitting and waiting for them to call us when they need us? This is not generally a great business strategy. The same goes for relatives and friends. Do we wait on them to make the first move, or make the call only to find out they’ve moved away and we can’t get in touch, or even worse, they’ve passed away and the opportunity is lost.

This week, reach out to someone who you care about and re-open the lines of communication. For your business or job, re-open and keep open the lines of communication with colleagues, customers, mentors and others who have an impact on your work and whose work you impact. When the lines of communication are open, understanding, relationships, and opportunities are all possible!