Loose Touch: Maintaining your network for introverts
Loose Touch: Maintaining your network for introverts
5 minutes
For many, especially introverts, the idea of networking brings up uncomfortable feelings – awkward small talk, forced smiles, and conversations that feel more like a chore than a connection.
But what if there was another way to slowly build your network?
Veteran tech executive Karen Wickre, a self-described introvert, offers a refreshing approach. Instead of networking only when you need a job lead or introduction, she suggests building “loose touch” into your routine.
Loose touch means checking in now and then, without a big reason. Maybe it’s sending someone an article they’d find interesting, congratulating them on a new role, showing them something that reminded you of them or even just saying hello. There’s no pitch, no ask. Just a quick reach out and presence.
Done regularly, it builds familiarity in a way that feels natural and low effort. And when the time comes that you do need advice or a lead, you’re not reaching out cold. You’ve already kept the line warm.
So if you shy away from networking, starting small is a great way to begin. When done right and done consistently, it can make all the difference in your relationships.
