POWER OF NETWORKING

In the recent seminars, I have attended, I find a lot of stress being laid stress on the power of networking.  I would like to share some of my insights, on networking

In this competive world, the speed of your growth will be determined by your capacity to network with people.  We have always been apprehensive of initiating a talk with new people. The fear of doubt , when meeting a person for the first time far surpasses the fear of opportunity, that may arise out of talking with them. We are so very cautious, that we even think twice to stretch our hands to shake hands with a stranger or greet someone with a friendly smile. We fear that a relationship with a unknown person will let us in doldrums. This is often due to the fact that some of our previous experience with unknown people have been bad. This experience has deeply encroached upon our subconscious mind, a feeling of suspicion in dealing with strangers. What is more, the news paper and magazines flashes so much news about frauds and cheats. The railway public announcing system, keeps announcing do not take any food from co-passengers.  All this in totality has made us hostile to our surrounding. We like to be insulated from all dangers.

In doing so we have consciously let away opportunities that comes to us in the form of different people.  Day in and day out we are searching for new opportunities, but we fail to see the opportunity hidden behind each person we meet. Each person may have a hidden opportunity.

Just for a analogy, think of a typical situation like this: You come across a person with a  brilliant idea, but does not have the money to make it a successful venture. You take the idea and keep it with you. You then come across a millionaire in disguise, who has so much money and knows not where to invest and then you give this idea you have got from some one. The millionaire gets excited about the idea and offers to fund your venture. He is willing to make you a working partner.

Does it sound like fiction. It can happen!!! I believe so… This is what networking is all about. The secret lies in talking with people, all that is in your mind, know matter how they judge you.

How many of us sincerely beleive that our friend’s friend, is also our friend. If you believe so, you will start making more and more friends everyday because the chain keeps growing. This is how you can make your networking stronger.

What happens in real life situation is when one of your friend introduces you to his friend, you formally say hello, shake hands, know your names and that is it. You do not care to go any further. So, this unknown stranger has now become a known stranger. Nothing more… To put the power of networking to work for you , you have to be sincerely interested in people.

If we should make a honest introspective of how much we really know about our  friends, our relatiives, our colleagues, we will be sorry to find that we just know the periphery, because we are always afraid if exploring other inner territories, for the same fear of exposing our true self. If you really look into people, we will see that there is so much of potential within the person which is not brought to focus. We could be the miner, who could dig out the Gold, from within the person.

God will never give the bread in your basket. He will just show you where the dough is. It is upto you to make the bread. God shows you opportunities through people. It is upto you to capitalize upon the opportunity hidden within them.

Happy Reading,

D. Senthil Kannan

Article Dated Apr 2007