Planning is perhaps one of the few things the Authentic Networking System has that I hear others rarely speak of. This is the first element of Follow Up and this has to do with being quite deliberate with your networking. Now, this can be taken are far or as lightly as you wish, but I would argue that it is worth anyone’s time who’s calendar is complicated.
Planning is about looking at networking being a part of what you do as a professional and making it intentional. How many times do you want to have coffee with someone each month? Do you have tickets to a pro team that provide great conversation time? Golf much? Host your own networking lunches? On top of all this, how many people would you like to keep in touch with on a regular basis? These folks will take some of those slots for coffee, sports, and lunch. Next question: How many new loose ties, new connections do you have time for or want to make time for?
There are no wrong answers here. Only your answers. It is your time – own it. At the same time, it should, in my opinion, be balanced out with opportunity cost of not meeting new people: what are you missing out on by not meeting new people?
Again, I don’t hear too many other people talking about this, but it is worth bringing up and it is a part of this system.
This is all a part of the Authentic Networking System. Learn more about Authentic Networking at the Professional Networking Workshop on Nov 6th. If you are attending a networking event in the next week, these workshops provide networking practice, information, and resources. Learn and reinforce concepts, ideas, and processes that make networking more comfortable and effective. Workshop Info
If you missed earlier posts, or just want to see the entire Authentic Networking System all laid out, start to finish, download the printable PDF HERE.
