It's that time of year that traffic get dramatically worse. With most people back from their summer vacations and all the extra college kids in town we probably need to get used to it taking a little longer to get from place to place in the car. This might be just what you needed to improve your networking!

All too often when we think about networking we think about meeting new people and starting new relationships. For most this is probably backwards. Instead our focus should be on building upon the relationships we already have. Yet we end up neglecting those who have helped us the most in the past. Sometimes not even speaking for months or even years.

No need to feel guilty. It happens to ALL of us. (remember it's only half your fault if you haven't talked to somebody in a really long time). YOU can be the one to do something about it and all of this traffic is the perfect solution.

If you have a commute this is super simple. The time it takes to get to and from your office is likely fairly consistent and probably happens at a predicable time. Make a list of a handful of people you'd like to reconnect with in the next 2 weeks. If you want to be really proactive about this you can e-mail them ahead of time and ask which day during your commute time is most convenient for them. OR you can just dial down the list while you're in the car. It's up to you.

Even doing this just 2-3 times a week on your way home can and will make a huge difference in your networking efforts. Do this consistently over time and the strength of your relationships will be far superior to the average networkers.

If you work from home or don't have a regular commute you're not necessarily out of luck. I'm sure you still spend a descent amount of time in your car each week. While it might not be as predictable you can still make a list of folks to call and just pick up your mobile each time you get in the car. This can be quite predictable if you know you're going to be on your way to and from a meeting on the other side of town.

Take advantage of your time in traffic and become a highly productive networker!

Happy Networking!