y. So when their employees found out they were about to be unemployed, they decided to start attending meetings.

Now I’m not saying that attending now is a bad idea, but think about how much more responsive others in the group would likely be if they had known these new attendees for

Wait a minutes, you may be thinking. Why should I network when I don’t need to? Think about it this way. When do you NEED to network? Often it’s when you’re out of a job or when you’re looking for business. But if you wait till then, it may be too late.

Why? Because the most effective networks are those where the people who know you have a high level of trust in you and understand your needs. You can’t get this level of interconnection through a brief connection at a meeting, conference, etc. You get this kind of connection through on-going, mutually reinforcing contacts between you and others.

Let me bring this down to an experiential level. I regularly attend a local meeting of people in my profession. I have built up a long list of contacts, most of which are not related to my business. But if I ever need to call on these folks, they know me and what I do.

We recently had folks show up from a company that had never had attendees there before. I hoped that it was the sign of enlightenment by the company that they were now supporting our profession. Instead, they soon announced they were shutting down their local facility. So when their employees found out they were about to be unemployed, they decided to start attending meetings.

Now I’m not saying that attending now is a bad idea, but think about how much more responsive others in the group would likely be if they had known these new attendees for a

ctive networks are those where the people who know you have a high level of trust in you and understand your needs. You can’t get this level of interconnection through a brief connection at a meeting, conference, etc. You get this kind of connection through on-going, mutually reinforcing contacts between you and others.

Let me bring this down to an experiential level. I regularly attend a local meeting of people in my profession. I have built up a long list of contacts, most of which are not related to my business. But if I ever need to call on these folks, they know me and what I do.

We recently had folks show up from a company that had never had attendees there before. I hoped that it was the sign of enlightenment by the company that they were now supporting our profession. Instead, they soon announced they were shutting down their local facility. So when their employees found out they were about to be unemployed, they decided to start attending meetings.

Now I’m not saying that attending now is a bad idea, but think about how much more responsive others in the group would likely be if they had known these new attendees for

ntacts between you and others.

Let me bring this down to an experiential level. I regularly attend a local meeting of people in my profession. I have built up a long list of contacts, most of which are not related to my business. But if I ever need to call on these folks, they know me and what I do.

We recently had folks show up from a company that had never had attendees there before. I hoped that it was the sign of enlightenment by the company that they were now supporting our profession. Instead, they soon announced they were shutting down their local facility. So when their employees found out they were about to be unemployed, they decided to start attending meetings.

Now I’m not saying that attending now is a bad idea, but think about how much more responsive others in the group would likely be if they had known these new attendees for

me and what I do.

We recently had folks show up from a company that had never had attendees there before. I hoped that it was the sign of enlightenment by the company that they were now supporting our profession. Instead, they soon announced they were shutting down their local facility. So when their employees found out they were about to be unemployed, they decided to start attending meetings.

Now I’m not saying that attending now is a bad idea, but think about how much more responsive others in the group would likely be if they had known these new attendees for

y. So when their employees found out they were about to be unemployed, they decided to start attending meetings.

Now I’m not saying that attending now is a bad idea, but think about how much more responsive others in the group would likely be if they had known these new attendees for a while.

If your own company needed to hire someone, would you be willing to recommend/refer someone you just met, and who has not been attending meetings of your profession? Or would you be more likely to recommend/refer someone who you’d come to know over a few months or years?

I know … the soccer games … the ballet lessons … etc. Everyone has excuses. But keep in mind that all of these are choices, just as is whether or not to network. A short-term view says “forget it … it takes time and I won’t get much out of it.” The long-term view realizes that our connections with others are one of the most effective ways to maintain a healthy life, and career. If the only people you’re networking are in your own company and/or industry, you’re severely limiting your future choices. So get out now and meet someone!

© Duke Okes