Right now, I am in the first few chapters of Keith Ferrazzi’s Never Eat Alone. According to my Kindle, I am 15% done (page 42 of 316) and I am loving every page of it. Can’t wait to finish it!
One of the topics addressed very early in the book is where Keith talks about networking vs. connecting. Here’s the specific excerpt I am talking about:
Over time, I came to see reaching out to people as a way to make a difference in people’s lives as well as a way to explore and learn and enrich my own; it became the conscious construction of my life’s path. Once I saw my networking efforts in this light, I gave myself permission to practice it with abandon in every part of my professional and personal life. I didn’t think of it as cold and impersonal, the way I thought of “networking.” I was, instead, connecting—sharing my knowledge and resources, time and energy, friends and associates, and empathy and compassion in a continual effort to provide value to others, while coincidentally increasing my own.
Keith raises a good point. There is a significant difference between networking and connecting. Let me detail it further:
Networking is about…
- Schmoozing
- Being cold and impersonal
- Taking care of you first
- Being fake; posing for others
- Finding ways to make other people successful
- Being warm and friendly
- Giving more than you get
- Focusing on others
- Building relationships
I hope you choose the latter.
How are you successfully connecting with others?
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