A simple twist of fate
All this frenetic networking business does not suit everyone. I know that networking has always existed but perhaps it has never been so intense.I was attending a ‘Gestalt in organisations’ workshop in the summer and I met Nick Wright, Head of HR from the global charity World Vision. After the event people exchanged cards and I sent fellow delegates my monthly thought, ‘Important but not Urgent’ as a way of keeping in touch.
In January Nick asked me to desist – he gets hundreds of emails every day. I took him off the mailing list. A week later I pulled into a Milton Keynes hotel where I was speaking. The huge building next door had the words ‘World Vision’ emblazoned across the wall.
I rang Nick; we had a coffee; we had so much work stuff to share that we spent the rest of the evening together chatting over dinner. We will meet again.
I guess you never know where networking will lead.
posted by Tim @ 5:15 AM
1 Comments:
Tim,
I think your little story is the rule rather than the exception, truth be told.
Just came across some business cards from a couple of workshops last September. Most represented prospective clients.
Here's the unusual part: We all started emailing each other shortly after the meetings. But like Nick, the email box is always so full I backed off of the correspondence. After looking at the substance of what had been exchanged, it seemed as if there were really only a few cases where we had a genuine connection and similar views on organization development.
So I sent emails to the other group explaining the email overload, thanking them for staying in touch, and expressing my hope that our paths would cross again.
I email with the other few when we have something of genuine substance to share. And, I've met one with some regularity over coffee when working in NYC.
That's a loooonnngg comment on a short topic. But the proliferation of email and the keen awareness regarding networking can call for some "network management!"
Keep writing about what's real!
Steve
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