I am just back from an amazing experience talking to over 20 smart Wellesley students about networking (and I don’t mean the kind that requires hardware!) I sometimes wonder if “networking” has not gotten a dirty reputation–if it has been cheapened by people who use it as a superficial way to get what is in their interest. Those same people who exchange business cards and who expect to get your business because you have met them once. I think that is the wrong way to think about networking. The really good networking is about connecting to other people and letting them know that we are genuinely interested in them. We are curious about who they are and what their story is. Real networking is as much about giving as it is about receiving. It is about connecting with people because we are curious about them. Then, sometimes, if we have created good meaningful connections, sometimes our “network” is the place where we get a payback–we find a job, a friend, an internship, a lead…but that is really only secondary!
Of course, like everything in life, when we are young (as the Wellesley students were!) we are not fully conscious of what we have to give. Nor do we know how to ask for help! Don’t be shy. And remember–networking is an art and a skill that requires practice and patience. Hire a coach and set your goal to conquer shyness and acquire people skills…it can be done!
Life is Amazing! Live Well.
Anna Grassini
www.lifeinbalancecoach.com
Posts Tagged ‘Networking
The importance of connecting
Here is an excellent article for people looking for a job or for those who are receiving calls from people they may not know to well. I love the part about remembering that one day you may be in someonelse’s shoes! Great advice on working within one’s network to learn more about opportunities! And don’t forget–don’t make your next transition along…hire a coach to help you find your vision and encourage you along the way.
NYT Article on Networking
Life is Amazing! Live Well.
Anna Grassini
So I have been doing more reading and thinking about the new “social media”…especially relevant after my recent arrival on Facebook!. According to a NYT story on the Austin Festival South By SouthWest, folks attending the most successful part of the festival are not musicians…they are people dealing in the new media!!! Says the NYT, however, that the folks creating content seem too busy to have time to consume it! And in any case, I wonder…what does this content really mean? Do I really gain from knowing that my 21 year old nephew is “stoked” about an upcoming weekend of sports? (Which, in my old fashioned mind, might mean simply a weekend of watching too much television!) What about the old friend who thinks Florida is too pretty? What am I gaining here? What is the content?
It feels to me like I am entering a whole new culture. But the question for me is, does the connection pay off or does it simply mean a huge loss of privacy? What do the young people out there think? What does it mean to be truly connected?
Life is Amazing! Live Well.
Anna
