Cultivating Healthy Professional Relationships Over the Holidays

How can executives foster authentic connection during the holidays?

The darker, colder months of the holiday season often exacerbate employee loneliness and burnout. Executives can combat this isolation by intentionally fostering authentic connections: writing handwritten letters to early mentors, delivering unsolicited testimonials for former colleagues, and prioritizing completely unplugged, screen-free downtime.

This holiday season, let’s focus on creating healthy moments that make us and those around us smile. It can be lonely for some of us as the days are shorter and the nights longer and colder. Being there for one another can mean more than we might let on.

It’s making a surprise phone call to a friend you haven’t spoken with all year. An honest conversation about the impact they have had on your life. What don’t they know that you’ve always wanted to share?

Consider sending a handwritten letter to your favorite college professor. We can often forget what lessons we learned from our instructors. What was the one class or moment you noticed they believed in you? Let them know and thank them!

We often feel we need to update our social media channels with our activities. What about an afternoon with close friends, shopping and supporting local businesses in your city, with no photos documenting your journey? Just you and your friends living in the moment.

What about the leaders throughout your career who made a significant impact? Deliver a testimonial for a former manager looking for their next job. Can you share an example in which they empowered you to do your best work in a healthy and empathetic manner?

Let’s not forget those in the service industries. How about an increased sense of empathy for the airplane gate agent who is doing the absolute best they can to get you to your next destination safe and sound, or an extra holiday tip to your coffee barista, along with a look in their eye and a sincere “thank you” that will make their morning as they craft hundreds of lattes.

Reflect on those you worked with for a short time this year. What about sending a check in text to the summer intern you managed who found a great new job? We all remember our internships and those who helped us feel professional. They will love hearing from you and sharing all the work they’re doing.

Are we spending time with our neighbors, making snow angels at the local park, and talking about everything except for work?

Are we spending brief moments to ourselves when possible, turning the phone off as you walk around a neighborhood renowned for its holiday light decorations, drinking from a warm cup filled with hot chocolate?

These are just a few examples of the moments I want us to cherish these next few months.