Use Holiday Parties for Connecting Relationship Dots

The holiday season is right around the corner -- an excellent opportunity to create incredible goodwill among the business relationships you have who do not know each other. . . yet.

Last year I attended a holiday party were these thoughts I am sharing started to form -- good people gathering to enjoy the season hosted by an executive I know at his home. They (the host and his wife) had invited people they knew from business and their neighborhood -- their Rolodex of relationships. I met some people in the finance community, a gentleman with a small promotions company, a software engineer, an artist, a surgeon, and people I already knew from other relationship circles.

At the party a common question among guests was, "How do you know (the hosts)?" It was incredibly interesting to hear all of the ways the hosts are connected to the people they invited.

But something else was happening too. I was able to create new relationships to people I would not have met but for the season, the party, and a savvy host.

This is important to note: For all of the reasons to attend an event there is nothing like the holiday season to help us disregard our usual "event filters" just to gather in friendship.

My advise for me (and for you if it makes sense): Remember that the holiday season creates the special opportunity to bring together the right people in one place when, at any other time, they would not cooperate.