Several years ago, I wrote a post about the “Boomer Brain Drain” at the US Postal Service (USPS). The article talked about the growing number of retirements at the USPS, and the need to train replacements. The post is almost evergreen, as the points it makes remain relevant today. It seems we are constantly receiving industry alerts from the USPS announcing the departure of another senior leader.
These changes aren’t limited to the USPS. Each week, my LinkedIn feed includes another peer sharing their transition to retirement. When we send out volume emails, there’s always return messages with the phrase “unknown user”. More and more, friends and contacts are transitioning out of the industry.
At the same time, we are seeing a surge of new people entering the industry. Almost every major trade show and conference reported record numbers of first-time attendees. From young people starting their careers, to others making a change in professions.
This is good news. For our industry to remain relevant, we need new ideas and new perspectives. Effective techniques from other occupations can be applied to print and mail. Having people ready to step into positions of leadership will ensure our organizations will have a successful future.
These shifts also mean we need to reexamine our professional networks. This goes beyond updating the contacts on your phone and mailing lists. It means taking the time to make new connections and strengthen existing ones.
Five ways to improve your network:
Seek out new contacts. When you attend an industry event, seek out people you don’t know. Take the time to introduce yourself and learn who they are. On LinkedIn, look at who’s posting in different groups, or is commenting on other connections’ posts. Request a connection – always including a note explaining why you want to connect.
Engage with people on social media. Posting content is not enough. Take the time to comment on other people’s posts. Tell them why the post resonated with you. If appropriate, repost to your page, adding comments why the post is important to your network.
Invite people to industry events. This means more than just forwarding a meeting announcement. Call those that are new to the industry and extend a personal invitation. Sit with them at the event. Follow-up afterwards to get feedback.
Introduce newcomers to the people you know. When someone joins our industry, it may be intimidating seeing the close connections between industry veterans. Break down the barriers by introducing them to the people in your network and making them part of the conversation. Whether in-person or online, explain to each person why they should be connected.
Don’t forget to keep in touch. Networking is a verb. Making connections is the first step. You must follow-up. You can stay connected with emails or a letter, maybe even a hand-written letter, to the people in your network. Don’t take connections for granted.
Changes can be overwhelming. The demographic shift in our industry will only continue. Friends and peers are leaving, and a new wave of faces are appearing.
It’s the perfect time to actively improve your professional network.