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✨ Activity: Developing High Quality Connections

Site: RRU Open Educational Resources
Course: Career Management Resources for Professionals
Book: ✨ Activity: Developing High Quality Connections
Printed by: Guest user
Date: Tuesday, 1 July 2025, 1:11 AM

Table of contents

Introduction

How can high-quality connections (HQCs) strengthen your relationships? Building HQCs starts with trust, grounded in integrity and confidentiality, and requires you to take initiative, be open, and maintain regular contact.

Making time to connect is key. Send invitations, reply to all messages (email, LinkedIn, texts, calls) within 24 hours, and follow up to keep the conversation going. Shared interests help sustain the connection. Over time, strong relationships become mutual and reciprocal.

The scenarios below will help you reflect on actions that do or don’t support HQC building. Answer the reflective questions after each one.

Scenario 1

Janelle accepted your invitation for an information meeting. 

You have been looking forward to connecting with her because she works at an organization that you are curious about. 

It was decided that the meeting would be located at Janelle’s office. 


Video by Karolina Grabowska: Pexels

Take a moment to reflect:

  • What are the thoughts and storyline going through your mind?
  • What are your initial reactions and how do you feel about Janelle’s actions?
  • What are your assumptions or conclusions about Janelle?

Scenario 2

At a professional conference, you attend a networking event and are paired with Tom for a 45-minute conversation. Shortly after introductions, Tom asks about your workplace but quickly interrupts to talk about his own. He asks for your views on leadership, but again cuts you off to share his perspective. When he asks why you came to the conference, you're barely able to respond before he takes a phone call. He ends the call quickly, but uses the remaining time to speak at length about his own experiences, leaving little room for two-way dialogue.

  • What is the narrative running through your mind?
  • Have you made any assumptions about Tom?
  • How would you describe Tom’s listening skills and ability to create trust?
Think about those questions for a moment before clicking the next button below to find out how to build HCQs.

Building HQCs

Don't come across like Janelle and Tom did.

There are numerous ways and actions in which to build HQCs and trust. We will focus on the following four actions:

  1. Take an interest in the person
  2. Be consistent and reliable
  3. Be present
  4. Practice radical listening

Below, you can explore each of these by clicking the "+" buttons. Each one provides a descriptor to impart why the action is important and how the action can be portrayed. Afterwards, there is a moment to rate yourself on your proficiency with these actions. 

Explore them in any order, but try to read each one - they are all important!

When you are finished exploring all four actions, click the next button below to continue.

Perceptions

Our experiences influence our interpretations of others' behaviours.

For example, if you are a sleep deprived parent of young children, you could have felt empathetic for Janelle, who is obviously worn down and exhausted.  Or, maybe you felt understanding of Tom, whose behaviour mirrors your sibling, who lives with ADHD. 

Consider these questions:

  • How does ethnicity, upbringing, and age impact how you see the world?
  • How do your perceptions influence how you present yourself to the world, how you listen and what you hear?
  • Have you considered whether or not you walk with power and privilege, and how this lens affects what you see and experience?
  • How do assumptions influence cultivating HQCs?

Could your lived experiences influence what you see in this image?

An image that looks like a vase in profile, but could also be two faces in silhouette

Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

The image portrays two side profiles of a person (in white) mirroring each other. From another point of view, this is an image of a black vase. 

After reviewing the actions to cultivate HQCs and reflecting on the image, which portrays different perspectives at the same time, continue to the next page to review scenario 1 again.

Reflection Activity

We don’t often take the time to reflect on our bias, our actions, and reactions. Awareness is key and the first step to change. Being present, dependable, and actively listening are essential to creating trust and strong connections.

Either review the scenario 2 again or think of personal or professional circumstances and think of different ways you could have approached these situations, then consider possible thoughts and actions that will foster HQCs.

In what ways:

  • did you create a positive rapport with your associates?
  • were your your words and actions consistent?
  • were you able to practice being present?
  • did you show you were listening?

Consider your abilities in the following statements:

  1. I show a genuine interest in other people and their interests.
  2. I am consistent and reliable at connection events and activities.
  3. I work to not assume another person's feelings or reactions.

What are your strengths with building trust and HQCs?

Which question would you rate as your top skills?  What specific questions would you action to build on? Are there any actions you want to add to your 26-WEEK Challenge?

This module and the scenarios touch on the mindsets, values, habits, and skills you can integrate to strengthen your relationships.

You have reached the end of this activity.

Next, continue on to Summary: Nurturing My Community