The new economy is a project one. We meet, work intensely together, then scatter across the globe to focus on other assignments. Sure there is a six degrees of separation phenomenon. But, overall, those past contacts are probably not to be thought of and treated as present ones. A New Year's Resolution useful to our professional well being might be to purge our e-mail and social networking sites of ghosts of Business Past.
In the last five years, an outfit I did scriptwriting assignments for in the early 1990s has been holding me hostage to various kinds of communications, ranging from books published to newsletters. Because I want to analyze this trend of unwanted messaging, I haven't put a spam filter on. However, the brand has certainly taken a hit in my estimation. I don't think I am alone on this.
New Year's Resolution: Before reaching back into the past electronically, reintroduce yourself, framing the greeting with what's in it for them to resume the relationship.
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