Building Connections: Pro Tips from the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes
- midilcommunication
- Feb 16
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 18
Jamie Toole of the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes baseball organization presented insights on networking and making connections – not just how to do it, but also why it matters – on March 13, 2025.
Why are connections important? He offered four points:
Personal growth
Collaboration opportunities
Improved communication
Humanity
The M.I.C.A. Approach
He then described the M.I.C.A. approach, something he specifically created by using the letters in our organization’s acronym. Jamie’s M.I.C.A. Approach stands for:
Make
Intentional
Care
Action
He elaborated on each of those four elements.
MAKE yourself put forth the effort to connect with more people and broaden your network. Another way of saying it: Force yourself to get “out there” and get different perspectives.
INTENTIONAL. We must be intentional with our objective of building connections and relationships. As an example, Jamie mentioned that the Horseshoes will have an Abraham Lincoln bobblehead promotion, therefore tying in with Springfield’s historic connection to Lincoln.
CARE. We must care about the human beings we are connected to, and we must guard against a “my goals first” mentality.
ACTION. We must take action to foster relationships with our connections.
Jamie asked, Why/how do we come together? Through shared experiences, both positive and negative. Positive ones like sharing the achievements of our children. Negative ones like our worries and fears on Sept, 11, 2001.
Jamie referred to the Lucky Horseshoes promotional material he included in our packets. All of those promotions represent collaborations with others. He asked and answered some questions, such as the following.
Q: Why do that (collaborations)? A: Because it matters to us.
Q: What statistic are the Lucky Horseshoes most proud of? A: We have contributed $115,000 to local nonprofits.
“Baseball is our platform, not our purpose,” he said. The organization’s purpose is to make a positive impact on the community.
Jamie advised us to ask ourselves: When we attend networking events, do we really look to make new and meaningful connections, or do we just look for people we already know? He explained that there are barriers to meaningful connection. For instance, we fear rejection. Understandable, but we can miss opportunities to connect simply because we fear rejection. We’re all going to be rejected at some point, so we might as well dive in. You might make a connection that will change your life.
Other tips:
Build confidence – Tell yourself that you can.
Clarity – Do people know about you? Don’t fear what your mission is. Share it with others.
Align your expectations – Sometimes you need to humble yourself. Ask a colleague to help, especially if that person is better suited for whatever you’re trying to accomplish. (e.g., if you have a personality clash with someone, but your colleague doesn’t, then ask the colleague to deal with that “someone.”)
Give yourself, and others, a break – Give you/them some grace.
Trust. It’s crucial in relationships.
Keep in mind that not every relationship is going to work out. Some will go sideways. Don’t obsess about those.
Q and A with the audience included a question about how to navigate tough relationships. His response: Be compassionate and show grace. But you also must have boundaries. Don’t react in a too-quick manner, but also don’t let yourself get pushed around. Stand your ground – in a diplomatic way. Take a beat, and try to understand the perspective of others.
Some final thoughts:
Be “more human” and “less strategic.”
In a networking situation where you don’t know anyone, start with the basics by making eye contact and listening.
The social media environment is constantly changing. The Shoes are mainly on Instagram, X and Facebook. Jamie encouraged using the right content on the right channel, constant communication, and pointed out that not everything on the Shoes’ channels relates directly to the team -- it's good to promote your community and highlights in your industry.
The Lucky Horseshoes intend to succeed by “growing the vision.” For example, Jamie observed that women’s sports are growing, and he said he’d like to create a summer college softball league here.
If you set forth a tone and vision and show people that you have good intentions, he said, you can succeed.