Drinking Poison or Burnishing Bridges

Are you keeping those important relationships healthy and strong?

When I left my first job in mall management (my choice), it just turned out that I never ran into any of my coworkers ever again, though I have remained in touch with a good friend from a different mall. That was fine with me.

Since the time I left my second job, an online service provider (my choice), I have stayed in contact with many coworkers over the years and across the miles, thanks to social media.

In the years since I left my third job, in higher education (their choice), I stayed in contact with a couple of important mentors and have run into a number of former coworkers in, professionally speaking, some high-stakes situations.

Don’t burn bridges.

Since leaving my fourth job (one-year contract) I have maintained several of the most important relationships of my career.

Now after 19 years in my fifth and current job (in case you were wondering “can’t Doctor D keep a job?”) I repeat: don’t burn bridges. 

Burnish them. Make them better. Stronger.

Any satisfaction you might feel by scorching the earth behind you is temporary. Keep the important relationships and be ready… and brave enough… to bring back old relationships once time has passed and wounds have healed.

What do you think?

See you tomorrow!

#careerwisdom #dontburnbridges #relationshipbuilding #mentoringmatters #longgameleadership