Well wishes and expressions of thanks are plentiful throughout the holiday season. However, with January just around the corner, it is essential to remember to thank clients regularly throughout the year.

Whether it’s new business, repeat business, a recommendation, a testimonial, or going the extra distance to complete a project, sharing your appreciation demonstrates that you value your relationship. Knowing when and how to demonstrate this is essential.

- A phone call, handwritten note, or intentional email sent solely in gratitude goes a long way. Remember to be specific in your thanks and recognize what they contributed, not how the outcome benefitted you.

- When the opportunity arises, send business leads their way. Actively treating your clients as partners fosters a reciprocal relationship.

- Offer value-added appreciation by forwarding interesting industry reports, whitepapers or competitive intelligence. This illustrates that you know their business and are a team player.

Be sincere, take the time to notice what clients contribute, and have the diligence to thank them in a timely manner. This respect and attention to detail reflect how you work on a project, building goodwill and lasting relationships.

- Jamie Hidi, President

The host of holiday parties that fill November and December offers unique opportunities to connect with others in a relaxed atmosphere, strengthening existing relationships and starting to build new ones. There are a few elements to consider in order to begin developing connections and trust:

- Preparation – Know who you want to meet, their accomplishments and their recent projects so that you can converse intelligently. Ask mutual contacts to make an introduction – and return the favour!
- Engagement – Ask questions to pique conversation and uncover common interests and business alignments. ‘What brings you to the event’, ‘Are you going away for the holidays’ and ‘How do you keep busy outside of work’ encourages people to share their passions and generates enthusiasm.
- Common Ground – Long-lasting relationships are formed by connecting through shared interests that excite both parties and provide fodder for follow-up in the new year.
- Attention to Detail – Listen attentively and make notes once the evening is done. Be a problem-solver! If someone will be skiing in Colorado over the holidays, send them a recommendation from your last visit. It provides a good reason to follow-up and shows you are a team player.

Think long term and make a lasting impression that generates interest to meet again. Provide a reason to stay in touch!

Remember to follow up with contacts in a timely manner, responding to conversations that you’ve shared. Your personal attention in a social setting will reflect on your potential professional performance and establish a foundation of trust for a long-lasting relationship. Make this your new year’s resolution!

- Jamie Hidi, President

I have been approached by organizations who want to ‘increase employee engagement’ countless times over the years. From a corporate viewpoint, engaged employees are more productive and more likely to remain at the firm long-term. From a personal perspective, we spend a good portion of our waking life at work – so naturally we all want to have some of our human needs met here. Genuine and meaningful team connection, challenging projects, and continuous learning are important.

Hidi Rae’s leaders are working to foster an environment where naturally engaged people will thrive. Communication, challenging work, social events and activities like internal ‘charettes’ where individuals can present their areas of expertise or lessons learned to their colleagues all play a part.

Creating the environment is one side of the Engagement equation. As the saying goes it ‘takes two to tango’. Likewise, engagement is a two-way street – nobody can ‘give’ us engagement. We really do get back what we put out into the world, so I believe we all should ask what our own role is in creating an engaged environment. I regularly check my own perspective on the following: am I actively bringing engagement to my environment (including the times when I don’t really feel up to it) or am I waiting or expecting my environment to bring it to me?

When we think of engagement, ‘I just want to be happy’ is what first comes to mind. Sounds good, but does ‘happy’ really equal ‘engaged’? I just participated in a San Francisco marathon. Was it physically and emotionally tough? Absolutely! Was I feeling ’happy’ in the moment? Not necessarily. But the fact that I struggled and worked hard to complete it was deeply fulfilling and rewarding, and there was no better moment than crossing that finish line.

Building self-awareness is key – to bring energy and passion we need to stretch ourselves, and that can be uncomfortable. But we owe it to ourselves to identify and build on our natural talents. Tapping into these gives us a source of natural inner engagement. It isn’t unusual for us to discover the complex layers of our personal engagement factors, and often some new ones, when we are already well into our chosen careers. We may discover that what engaged us years ago may not be what engages us now. This requires us to look at our work and our environment in new ways so we can access those traits in our everyday work life, bringing back the passion and energy we might have forgotten because we are so accustomed to our routine.

Feeling less engaged than you’d like? A good start is to think of the things that come naturally to you – skills that people often comment you excel at without even trying. Find a way to incorporate these unique talents into your work life, and you cannot help but feel engaged.

As you discover your own engagement factors and put aspirations into action, you will see the ripple effect naturally come into play. Others will witness your energy, they will be inspired, and then they will begin working towards engagement of their own.

Shelley Pacheco, Human Capital Consultant