It’s one of those days!  We all have them.  Days when we have too many tasks for the hours in the day!  But I’m adopting Peg’s style of being grateful no matter what!  I’m grateful everything I need to accomplish is coming together so well! 

Last evening, I attended a networking event in Indianapolis that several of our AWP members are active in.  Large crowd of folks, a ton of energy and loads of networking.

At least folks were connecting and I can only assume that business opportunities were being exchanged and connections being made that would lead somewhere significant.

This is another of those days where the events of the past 24 hours provide a significant amount of mental activity that has relevance for us here. 

A little background!  I’m a people watcher (comes with the territory for us counseling types).  I love to stand back and watch others.  In large groups, such as last evening’s roomfull, I take on the “pearl” that’s only a teeny-weeny part of my behavioral style (pearls are quiet, somewhat reticent and might be thought of as ’shy’). 

But I’m also analyzing the proceedings!  I’m watching to see what makes this event or group, ‘tick’.

Digressing a wee-bit again, I note that there are a number of buzz words in our 21st century business-professional vocabulary that weren’t around years ago.  Words such as “mentoring”, “coaching” (non-athletic type), “networking”.

Yet these words and their subsequent meaning and application are key to our business and professional lives today!  In fact, folks who’ve retired and left the corporate or business world, speak of ‘networking’ and some even have life coaches to help them through the transition from professional-business life to retired-leisure life.

The fact is this:  if we aren’t networking in some way, on a constant basis, whether to meet personal needs; business and professional goals or even our spiritual needs - we’re gonna’ lose out.  I know a woman in Cincinnat Ohio, who attends no less than 5 networking events a week (that’s really working on one’s business)!

I’ve talked a little over the holiday days about ‘mentoring’ and now I want to turn our attention to ‘networking’.  It’s different aspects, the various kinds of networking and how our personalities and behavioral styles are reflected in the kinds of networking we choose to focus on.

I’m a graduate networking professional (a certification program in Indy, Indiana); but I’m still not an expert at making networking work as I think it should work for me.  Part of that is, of course, my “McDonald’s mentality” (needs to happen yesterday!).  However, I did absorb much of what I learned in the classes and had enough of life and life’s reflective moments to feel brave enough to venture into sharing the remainder of this week and into the next on the subject of “networking”!

We all do it!  We do it instinctively!  Because we are social beings.  We’re made for relationship and seeking, finding and forming relationships is all about ‘networking’.  Unless we leave our safe conclaves (home, office, etc.), we’re going to have a difficult time networking (unless it’s here at AWP as we get that piece in place - excuse the PLUG!).  And if we ’shy’ away from networking, then strong bonded relationships will elude us.

And that’s not healthy - physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually!  Why, heck (’cuse the vernacular), one of the most natural places we practice the art of ‘networking’ is with the folks in our worshipping communities!

Tomorrow, I’m going to share a little more about ‘networking’ and focusing on strategies for networking in the new year!  If networking events or opportunities haven’t paid off for us this year - then maybe we need to look at new strategies for 08.  Or maybe, we need to take an inward look to discover what it is we really want from networking and then make a plan around our ‘want’ that fits our personality and style.

But I have this burning desire to say something about the “One Woman Shop”!  You know, the business where we, as a lone woman, wear all the hats (President, CEO, administrative assn’t, etc.).  I think that’s one of the strongest supports AWP can be to each of you when you are a “one woman shop”.

So look for a little more later today!  Once all the running and getting and accomplishing for. . . GUESS WHAT!

A THURSDAY evening NETWORKING EVENT!  Whew!  That’ll be 2 this week!

As they say on the streets . . . “later!”

Have an awesome day!

  Linda