3 tips for reviving a lapsed friendship

It’s never too late to rekindle a relationship from your past. If you’ve had someone on your mind, chances are they would appreciate knowing you were thinking of them.

Want to get in touch? Here are three steps for making a fruitful reconnection and alleviating potential awkwardness:

Acknowledge the lapse in time. You don’t need to pretend you’re as close as you used to be. Nor should you expect that you can immediately catch up with one another’s lives. Simply admit to your friend that too much time has passed and that you wanted to reconnect.

Explain the “Why now?” Sure, you could be reconnecting simply because you missed them. But what if you want to reconnect to ask for advice or a job recommendation? Either way, be honest about what it was that spurred you to reach out.

Invite them to get in touch with you in return. One way to keep the embers of a friendship glowing is to let them know you look forward to hearing from them as well.

Source: Harvard Business Review