Wednesday, August 10, 2022
If your intent is to network, it’s easy to dismiss those who don’t have what you’re looking for. That’s because networking is a shallow endeavor. Why not just build interests, seek genuine, lasting friendships instead. Cultivating true friendships will connect you to so much more in your life, not just a business opportunity. Don’t seek to gain anything from anyone, other than the joy of knowing who they are. Seek to be interested in the wellness and success of others. It’s your kindness and respect that will unlock friendships, and it’s your friends who will ultimately be willing to do things for you.
Seek to know someone because they are just inherently valuable. Don’t brush them aside if you realize there isn’t anything they can offer you. Seek to connect to them in ways that will help them open up, to feel at ease, and to know your intention is simply to create a meaningful bonding experience. When you meet someone new, they will remember you for being genuinely interested in them as a person, not that you were seeking a networking opportunity.
I wouldn’t worry so much about seeking to learn what someone can do for you. I would suggest seeking to know people because they are worthy of your attention. Learn their story. Real friends show genuine interest in you, so to make new ones, show genuine interest in new people. Connect to people on a personal level, and let that be your goal – pure and simple. Find the commonality, not the opportunity. Share humor, interesting experiences, life lessons, passions and hobbies, but also seek to understand them by asking good questions. Finding friends will be much more interesting and ironically rewarding, than trying to find opportunity through “networking.”