Networking: A Route to Increased Brain Power or Just Child’s Play?

When I was Ill, I often wondered that if I died, how many people would attend MY funeral.. this would be a good measure of how good- or non existent my networking skills were!. Well, a lot to be desired in THAT department, I can tell you. I had visions of my parent’s having to “rent” a crowd , so the affair didn’t seem too lonely.

So, what’s networking exactly then? It seems something very different from “Making Friends” Plain ignorance of the real meaning. Its been defined as ‘ all the different ways in which people make, and are helped to make, connections with each other”.

Hello the Triond Network.

I can think of 4 types of networking:

• Personal- Friends relations, and neighbors etc, the girl at the petrol station, the nameless attendant at the cheese counter…
• Professional- all those people who I have to deal with on a basis of client and customer- Accountants, Doctors, The Petrol Station Owner, The Cheese Counter Manager..
• Organizations -membership networks like Breakfast meetings, Chambers of Commerce, Private members clubs,?!* is this a personal one- it could be if its fun.
• Work- Colleagues, Bosses (aargh!! I was one of these once) Clients, and suppliers.

I pretty much ignored all these over the years- Never giving networking a thought. But I’m Selfish. I want people to attend my Wake, and have a good old jolly on me.

No, that’s not the entire truth- Since I don’t know how I’ll feel when I’m dead- or if I will feel anything at all, there has to be a payback now, while I am still breathing.

What Type of Payback can a person get from Networking:

A better job?- put out the message and contact/ make acquaintance with people in the know and those with decision making power.

Enlist People to Your Cause- Exploitation? Of course, but beware, ask then for advice and guidance- they will help if they want to.

A better Social life- seek out like minded people- something you have a commonality with. At least there will be something to talk about.. – Be a first Class Conversationalist   even if you are only talking to Yourself!

Oh Dear… Networking seems more like a life skill that a career skill. In absolute terms, if you haven’t spoken to someone for more than 6 months they are no longer part of your network. ( X boyfriends, girlfriends relatives etc are exempt) This means that personally, I have a network of about 25 human beings!

Networks are mainly about knowing someone who knows someone who can….. and the larger the network, the more regular contact you have, the more likely you are to get one of those big event tickets you thought you had missed out on- Or get more hits to your Web Pages.

Only trouble is when the network is large, you have to keep records of Who is Who! Just incase your are speaking to Sister Bernadette on the phone, and telling her how much you enjoyed meeting her at Madam Miaow’s XXX rated Bump and Grind Night!

Increase your organizational skills, and use your network’s Brainpower to boost you to where you want to be. ( If it grows too big, you won’t have time to do anything else. – Think about it!! )

Now Conversation skills make all this happen, or un-happen, depending where you are sitting. But that’s another story altogether,