If
you were growing
your own food,
would you wait
until you were
hungry to plant
your seeds?
Think
about the question
above. Certainly,
you would not
wait! Why? Because
of simple laws
of nature. When
you plant seeds,
you have to
nurture them,
and wait for
them to grow.
There is nothing
humanly possible
that you can
do to accelerate
the process.
You water them,
make sure the
soil is rich,
and allow time
and nature to
do the rest.
This
natural law
applies equally
to human relationships—which
make up a strong
measure of the
quality of life
we each will
have in our
time on earth.
This is true
in all parts
of our life,
and is extremely
relevant when
it comes to
our careers.
Unfortunately,
too many of
us forget this
law when it
comes to NETWORKING.
It’s also
why networking
has become frustrating
and difficult
for so many
people, and
why you need
to start doing
it sooner rather
than later.
In
reality, there
are what I call
the “two
faces”
of networking.
The first “face”
deals with what
most people
associate with
networking:
the process
of building
a list of contacts.
But
what doesn’t
get as much
attention, and
is much more
effective yet
more challenging,
is turning those
contacts into
relationships
(the other face).
Building relationships
is a long-term
goal. Building
contacts is
often regarded
as, although
mistakenly,
a short-term
goal.
The
common mistake,
and the point
of frequent
frustration
is, most people
don’t
make an effort
to make contacts
until they have
an immediate,
short-term objective
(i.e. they need
a job.)
Building
contacts, or
collecting names
and phone numbers,
theoretically
takes a few
simple steps.
Building relationships
requires more
than passing
and collecting
business cards.
It isn’t
the occasional
phone call,
the holiday
greeting card,
or remembering
names of family
members you
never met.
Building
relationships
takes more time
and requires
more work. And
you cannot possibly
build as many
deep, lasting
relationships
in your life,
as you may be
able to cram
names into your
address book.
Yet, one good
friend is often
worth more than
dozens of names
of people whom
you barely know
and have little
in common. In
essence, we
are speaking
of quality over
quantity.
When
considering
these points,
think again
about what you
would do if
you had to grow
your own food.
Would you plant
your seeds now,
or right before
the time of
hunger?
Now,
I’ll let
you in on a
secret: you
DO have to grow
your own food!
Most of us have
to work for
a living, and
provide for
ourselves. Odds
are, your current
and future relationships
will play a
pivotal role
in the results
you create.
For this reason,
above all, the
time to begin
planting your
seeds is NOW!
Start calling
the people you
know, and ask
about their
needs. Meet
new people,
learn about
their challenges
and frustrations.
Do this regardless
of whether you
are seeking
a job.
Plant
the seeds, get
out there, promote
yourself, and
allow nature
to take its
course.
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