Focus Magazine - Summer 2015 - (Page 28)

FEATURESTORY looking for ways to serve people in your network, you become increasingly attuned to opportunities and needs all around you. Inevitably this trickles into your business or career as you connect the dots that other people miss. Building value becomes habitual for generous relationship builders. Interestingly, your clients will notice that you have their best interests in mind and that you are genuinely concerned with how your services or products are meeting their needs. is authenticity builds the trust that leads to long-term repeat business and referrals - even though that isn't your only goal. Generous networking will also enable you to increasingly add value to your organization through your relationships. You can tap into your network to help recruit top talent and find the resources you need to get things done eﬀectively. Most importantly, serving others inspires them to look for ways to reciprocate service to others as well. When business becomes relational, it also becomes fun! Characteristics of Generous SuperConnectors A common myth is that the only way to be successful at networking is to have an extraverted personality. While extraversion is certainly helpful for relationship building, some of the best networkers I know are introverted - they carefully listen, ask intentional questions and reflect on ways to serve people. Generous super-connectors are also extremely humble and wildly ambitious. ey are humble in the way that they value others above their own interests but they are also ambitious and very driven to make the world a better place. e best networkers have big hearts. Is generous networking akin to being used for your connections? Absolutely not. Generous superconnectors are relationally savvy, they choose to serve others out of joy and for the sake of the other person. At the same time they know when someone is just trying to use them and they carefully curate the people they trust. Generous super-connectors are focused on creating value for others. Because of this, they take the time to understand people's needs and patiently look for opportunities to help them out. How to Pay It Forward Are you ready to become a generous, relational super-connector? Here are four easy activities to accelerate the impact you can make through your relationships: 1. Make a short list. Who are five people who you want to intentionally serve in your network. Brainstorm one thing you can do to serve them in the next month. Get to work! 2. Ask lots of questions. e art of asking questions is at the heart of great networking. View each networking meeting like a treasure hunt to discover ways to serve the other person. Ask questions that help you learn both personal and professional details. Try to ask the first question and keep the conversation focused on them, not you. Lastly, ask open-ended questions that keep discussions flowing and steer questions toward the needs and opportunities - business or personal - that your connection has. 3. Give something away. Identify 10 ways you can creatively serve people in your network. Perhaps you could forward job leads to someone in transition, suggest a great consultant to a colleague, volunteer at a non-profit that a friend is involved in, share your professional expertise to help someone start a project or just simply strive to be fully present with the people you meet with throughout the day. 4. Enjoy yourself! Networking is fun when the focus is on building relationships and serving people. Don't worry about driving for results. As you develop a lifestyle of relationships you will discover that lots of interesting and valuable outcomes will develop. Bookstores are crowded with networking tricks and techniques. e key, however, that unlocks the secrets of networking is generous service. By changing your relationship building paradigm you will transform your network - maybe even your life. In the process you will build a powerful engine of generous social capital that generates ripples far beyond what you can ask for or imagine. I Daniel Hallak is the professional development specialist for the School of Business, Government, and Economics at Seattle Paciﬁc University and the principal coach at Next Step Career Consulting. Email him at dhallak@spu.edu. 28 FOCUS | SUMMER 2015 | www.L-TEN.org http://www.L-TEN.org

Focus Magazine - Summer 2015

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