Relationships During the Time of Corona

One question that has vexed me during social distancing, is how to handle relationships. I have sent cards and emails, joined more Zoom chats than I can count, made phone calls, and even sent cookies to let people know I am thinking about them. I have asked colleagues questions I would never have asked had I been in the same room with them in an effort to forge new connections. No matter the relationship, maintaining them requires work, especially now.

This got me thinking about forming new connections, especially when you can’t meet face-to-face. Against all odds, I managed to make several new friends recently. Most live in my neighborhood and we connected over shared circumstances, exercise classes, and virtual neighborhood communities.

What I have struggled with during this time is making new professional connections, probably because it can be challenging under the best circumstances. I found this article about how to network when a coffee chat is out of the question very helpful as I ramp up my networking this summer. I am definitely still working on Step 1 - making the effort!