Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/613635
I DA U N I V E R S A L N ove m b e r - D e ce m b e r 2 0 1 5 4 EDITOR'S NOTES Nancy Estes, MBA, CAE Executive Director/Editor T he greatest business leaders have always been those who realize the value of relation- ships with people who surround them. e list of people you work with and socialize with is your network. According to many authors, that network can be the single most important factor in your life. e trick is not to simply accumulate all the people, names and addresses you can, but to create, nurture and maintain diverse connections. is means building purposeful associa- tions with suppliers, employees, customers, competitors, public offi cials, vendors and others that are mutually benefi cial. No one builds success alone. It is a collec- tive and interactive eff ort between you and all the people you know. Determine to meet lots of people, always, any way you can. Only a er a ton of conversations will you learn how to si through the people who can either help you or you can help. Ways to do this include: asking for introduc- tions from people you already know, reaching out to particular individuals, attending personal interest groups, conferences, events, sports leagues, classes, workshops, parties, associations, and joining Twitter and LinkedIn groups. Go where the people you want to meet hang out. is asserted eff ort is twofold. First, you have to give to receive. is is the fi rst commandment of life. Stated another way, "What goes around comes around." I have read too many nonfi ction books that prove this is true. So, always be on the watch for people you can help: What You Need customers/employees/vendors/ people/others? You need to have long-term customers and good vendor relationships that will carry you through challenging times or tight deadlines, as well as relationships with other business owners to share struggles, resources and best practices that can really give you an edge. Second, be alert to acquain- tances who are good resources (fi nancial or non-fi nancial) for your business. Obtain informa- tion, share experiences, exchange ideas, pool expertise, discuss new markets, new technologies and partnership opportunities, draw mutual support and help sustain motivation. ese will increase the likelihood of your survival and success. Most of us instinctively know how to engage with people. e next challenge is to hold onto these jewels (special folks) with a strong emotional bond. Here is a variety of ideas for maintaining the group you need and being there for the ones who need you: 1. Share a sense of purpose and personal integrity. It builds trust and loyalty and motivates people to give back. 2. Particularly with fi nancial re- sources, be able to clearly articulate the future state of your business. People respond to confi dence. 3. Bigger is not always better. Be selective about the choices you make in building your network. 4. Use your time wisely. You can overinvest in networking. 5. Take care not to build a net- work that is too comfortable. You need people who think "outside the box" and voice many diff erent perspectives. 6. Weed your garden regularly. Abolish the obsolete/non-produc- tive relationships and forge new ones. Renew and reshape. 7. Collaboration is key. It's better to borrow genius than to create mediocrity. 8. We all want to extol our strengths. Remember, being a good listener highlights your vir- tues much better than being a big talker. When people believe you really understand where they are coming from….that's GOLD. 9. Take notes on key points to refer to later. 10. Devise a system to ensure that not too much time passes before you connect with your contacts. Contact them some- times when you are NOT in need of something. 11. Own up to blunders. Most people just want to know you see their side, you are sorry and have a plan to fi x the situation. 12. Make it personal. Send a card, meet face-to-face at an event 13. ink long-term. Connec- tions open doors, but relation- ships close deals. 14. You never know until you ask. 15. Don't hesitate to share infor- mation clients may fi nd useful, whether or not it benefi ts you. e more value you off er, the more a client depends on you. 16. Eliminate surprises. Regard- less of the task or who you are working with, keep them ap- prised of developments or poten- tial setbacks. IDA is what you need and IDA needs you! With best regards, Nancy