For happiness at work, there are few things better than a work bestie or friendly colleagues. But sometimes the best connections for getting the next job and advancing your career are actually the people you know less well and interact with less frequently.
Think of your contacts in concentric circles with you at the center. In the inner circles are people you know best: family, friends, and coworkers. In the circles that are farther from you are people known as weak ties. They are people you recognize and are friendly with, but you interact with them infrequently and your relationship is of limited emotional depth.
A comprehensive study of more than 20 million people over five years published in Science found that when people had more weak ties in their networks, they had greater career mobility. They applied for more jobs and were more likely to change jobs. And the study found that loose connections weren’t just related to mobility; they were the cause of it.
The people who aren’t part of your nearest circles have access to information that you and your close contacts don’t. They may know more about a certain job market or have a perspective on what it takes to get a certain role. And they know people they can introduce you to as well. This kind of information is critical for finding your next opportunity.
When you cultivate relationships with those who are more on the periphery of your network, you’re more likely to enjoy higher compensation, receive positive performance evaluations, and get more promotions. You’re also more likely to be exposed to different ways of thinking, generate better ideas, and be seen as more valuable, according to a study in the American Journal of Sociology.
So how do you establish and maintain weak ties?
1. Interact with new people
First, you can expand your number of weak ties by seeking out interactions with people you don’t know or don’t know well. Chat with the person who’s standing in line with you in the cafeteria at work or invite someone new to join you and your friend for lunch. Introduce yourself to the new person who is participating in your meeting and linger after the session to get to know them. You can also connect with people in your social media networks who are one or two degrees away from your first-tier contacts.
According to studies published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, when you have more frequent interactions with others and interact with both strong and weak ties, you increase your feelings of happiness, belonging, and well-being.
2. BE CURIOUS
When you’re getting to know someone, listen to their perspective and ask questions. People who are farther away from your inner circle will have different experiences and diverse vantage points. They may see things differently because they’re from a different generation or have different life experience or professional background. They can provide you with new ideas or help you connect dots in creative ways.
3. RECONNECT WITH DORMANT CONNECTIONS
You can also enhance the positive effects of weak ties by reconnecting with people you might have lost touch with. These types of weak ties are known as dormant connections. Examples would be a colleague who moved to a different company, or a friend who has moved away.
If you rekindle a relationship with someone you used to know well, you’re likely to benefit from trust and shared perspective, and you’re also likely to get information from them more quickly and efficiently compared with newer contacts. And the information you get may be unique or unexpected, giving you new ideas or especially helpful intel about opportunities, according to a study in Organization Science.
With a dormant connection, you get the benefits of having had a trusting relationship in the past and of their now more distant point of view, which provides fresh information.
4. STAY IN TOUCH
Overall, you’ll want to stay in touch with weak ties. You won’t connect with them regularly, but you might check in occasionally through social media or a quick text or email. You can let them know you’re thinking about them or acknowledge something you may have seen online that reminded you of them.
Reach out when they get a promotion or change jobs. Or send a note if you run into a mutual connection. These kinds of low-demand interactions are easy for you and require little of them. But they keep you on their radar screen.
Most importantly, keep your network evergreen. When you need help from your weak ties, it’s too late to begin cultivating them. Instead, it’s more effective to be proactive in staying in touch so your network is robust and expansive when you need it most. Build relationships with your work bestie, and value your connections that aren’t BFFs but are best for your career mobility.