How Much Does It Mean to You?

How Much Does It Mean to You?

As I write this, I am away from home on a vacation week at the beach. Earlier today, a fellow business colleague of mine was kind enough to substitute for me and represent me at a weekly business networking meeting I attend. In filling in for me, I had provided my colleague a brief write-up on how he might want to present my business and myself to the other attendees. I provided that about a week ago. Two days ago, I reached out to my colleague and thanked him for filling in for me and asked if he had gotten the email I had sent him. He had not. In checking the email that I had sent, I could see why it was unsuccessful in getting to him. I had used an incorrect email address. Once correcting the email address and resending, all was well. It was a good thing that I had followed up.

I have written on a number of occasions how “Follow Up” is so important. In the coaching that I do, which is just about all focused on career change and job search activities, I mention it is the most important step of the process. However, even beyond career change and job search, it is important in many other aspects of life.

One of the complaints I often hear is “Why do I Have to Be the One Who Always Has to Follow Up?” That will come often in regards to following up with service providers or when needing someone’s help with a project or task. And, the more I thought about it, the more my reasoning to this question goes something like this. If there are two people involved in an interaction, that interaction could have the same meaning to both, in which they both will likely make sure to coordinate every last detail down to the letter. However, in many cases, the interaction has far more meaning for one than another. And, while the one to which it has more may have a lot of things happening at the same time they need to juggle, the need to follow up on the details of those items, which mean the most to them, never disappears.

Going back to my earlier example, while the business colleague substituting for me might have something to gain by attending the networking meeting in my place, if he did not go, he would not necessarily feel as if he lost anything. Yes, he could possibly gain a referral or renew an old acquaintance, but not doing so would not have made him feel any less at loss. I on the other hand know that it is expected in my networking group if I can’t make a meeting, that I must have a substitute. If I miss enough meetings and do not have a substitute, I could be asked to leave as a member. As you can see, I have more at stake.

In the world of job search that I participate, it is much the same thing. Yes, a company may have an opening, and need someone to fill it. Ideally they actually wind up with a lot more candidates applying for the role than the number of roles they have to fill. On the other hand, for those applying, yes they could be applying for many jobs. But, if this role is one they really feel they are qualified to fill, or if they have been searching for a new job role and have been unsuccessful through many applications, they have far more to lose if not selected. Following up, showing their interest in the role, and providing additional information on their candidacy is not only helpful, but keeps them connected to something of which is importance to them.

So, if you really want something in your life, YOU need to take control of the process of getting it. YOU are the one that needs to make the necessary connections and lay out the path to get there. And, most of all YOU must remember HOW MUCH DOES THIS OPPORTUNITY MEAN TO ME, and ensure you are following up on keeping it alive with the maximum effort you can provide.