No matter what your goals might be, it’s a given that you’ll need the help of other people to achieve them.
It may be easy to call a friend for lunch, or tempting to avoid people altogether because you have so much work to do. But when you do that, you’re missing potential opportunities to connect with people who can help you in some way.
So today’s post is a simple core message:
Connect with someone you don’t know, or don’t know well, this week.
The ‘how’ part doesn’t matter. Attend a conference. (That’s what I’m doing.) Schedule coffee or lunch. Send a letter or email. Connect on LinkedIn with a personal message.
Be careful about any assumptions or preconceived ideas you may have about the person.
Examples may include:
“He’s too busy to meet with me.”
“She knows nothing about my industry.”
“He’ll probably try to sell me something.”
Or worse, “Maybe I can sell him something.”
You never know what’s really going on with a person. Be open, and open-minded.
Trust that good things will come from your connection – if not now, perhaps later.
Here’s the key: When you make your connection, consider what you can do to be of help to that person.
You will move yourself forward faster based on the quality of the connections you have, not the quantity. It is up to you to develop them. Make yours count.