KIT

NOTE: This was originally published as part of a post-course series of emails for the March 2020 cohort of my UX bootcamp in Barcelona.

“Keep in touch!” When I graduated from high school this was the popular phrase that everyone wrote in each other’s year books. I always hated seeing this written in mine because I felt it was a lie.

I’m sure you’ve had experiences where you’ve bonded with people during a time of your life and thought on some level that connection would continue, while on a deeper level realizing that the foundation you had wasn’t enough on its own.

Relationships take work, and tribe relationships are no different. Don’t expect others to maintain professional relationships for you—take the reins. This isn’t high school and if the cool girls aren’t calling you every other day it doesn’t mean they don’t like you or that you’ll never break in. Some people won’t want to stick with you and that is okay, but if you’re waiting around for someone to reach out, it is far more likely that they simply have life going on and you aren’t top of mind.

Reach out. Send them a funny GIF or an interesting article you read. Schedule a time to catch up. Make a specific request for something you need help with, and make it easy for them to respond.