Power of follow-up
As the New Year unfolds, there’s an unmistakable energy that invites us to embrace fresh starts and new beginnings. New Year’s Resolutions!!! becomes a resounding marketing billboard for every small and big thing, both in personal and professional domains. But in the rush to turn the page on the past, we often neglect an essential practice: reflecting on the successes, open items, and lessons of the previous year. Pausing to follow up on unfinished conversations and opportunities can be the key to unlocking a truly successful year ahead. January is the time to surrender to the success of the prior year and emerge powerfully with a roller coaster of past connections.
The Rush to Move Forward
New Year’s resolutions and goals often push us into a fast forward-facing mindset. While this energy is invigorating, it can also lead to a lack of closure with the year we leave behind. Finding stillness in all the prior endeavors is a competitive move to pay-it-forward. Opportunities, relationships, and lessons that remain unresolved are swept aside, depriving us of the chance to build on our past efforts.
How often do we overlook the power of revisiting conversations, re-engaging with colleagues, and reigniting relationships? These small, intentional acts can lead to significant breakthroughs.
The Value of Revisiting the Past
Taking the time to reflect and follow up offers more than just closure; it creates opportunities for growth, collaboration, and innovation. A brief review of past successes and open conversations can reveal hidden potential — unfinished projects waiting for a spark, partnerships ready to flourish, or ideas worth revisiting with a fresh perspective and already established rapport and trust.
Quite often, restarting a conversation can lead to outcomes you never imagined. Let’s be clear, restarting conversation does not mean attempting to pitch the same product or service with the same script. It means listening and asking a few questions of intentional simplicity. A follow-up call might uncover a colleague’s transition to a new role, presenting an unexpected chance to collaborate. Revisiting an idea might reveal its relevance in a new context. By staying curious and open, you allow yourself to remain current, relevant, and deeply connected.
Humility and Gratitude in the Workplace
Following up is also an act of humility. It’s a way of acknowledging that success is rarely a solo endeavor. It reminds us of the importance of expressing gratitude — not just to those in leadership or stewardship positions, but to everyone who contributes to our work environments, from janitors to electricians to people who like our Linkedin updates and comment on our posts. They respond to our presence and that is another start of a beautiful unknown conversation. Their efforts, often overlooked, form the foundation of the systems that allow us to succeed.
By staying present and aware, we create opportunities to express genuine appreciation for those who make our daily work possible. This fosters a sense of connection and shared purpose, which can transform workplaces into environments of mutual respect and collaboration virtually, in physical space and in our own mental spaces as we let work dominate our minds when we are supposed to rest and reset.
Creating Meaningful Work
Incorporating follow-ups into our practice can also help us reconnect with the meaning behind our work. Too often, we become disconnected from the purpose of what we create, whether it’s a product, service, or friendship. The demands of life, commuting, changing seasons and disasters imagined of catastrophic can leave us feeling unfulfilled. By cultivating continuous conversations — both direct and indirect — we sustain the dialogue that fuels innovation and connection.
A Call to Action for the New Year
As we step into the first week of the year, the opportunity to establish best practices is ripe. Consider these actions to jumpstart your journey toward meaningful success:
1. Pause and Reflect: Take time to acknowledge your successes and lessons from the past year. What went well? What could have been better?
2. Revisit Open Conversations: Look through past emails, notes, or projects. Are there people or ideas that deserve a follow-up?
3. Reconnect with Purpose: Reflect on why you do what you do. How can you infuse more meaning and connection into your work?
4. Express Gratitude: Take a moment to thank the people who support your work, directly or indirectly. A simple “thank you” can go a long way.
5. Stay Curious: Approach the year with an open mind, ready to explore where old conversations might lead. You never know what opportunities await.
By embracing follow-ups and fostering meaningful conversations, you set the tone for a year filled with connection, growth, and purpose. Success doesn’t come from rushing forward; it comes from taking the time to nurture what matters most. As week one unfolds, the time to act is now. Let this be the year you cultivate presence, humility, and gratitude — and watch as the opportunities unfold.