Chip Off the Old Block

 

 

 

 

 

I am in the throes of parenting my last teenager.  As you other parents know, many times we are not sure if we are getting through to these kids.  Well, my oldest child is now is his twenties and he has emerged from the teen years and is doing well indeed.  In fact, there might be proof I rubbed-off on him.

 

Nathan Tudhope is a contributor to the University of California - Haas School of Business - Haas Undergraduate Students Blog  ( http://bit.ly/ZaSs06 ).  So far, Nathan has interviewed Cal athletes who are undergrad students at Haas.  This morning I picked him up after completing his Junior year at Cal Berkeley and he was so excited about some of the possibilities of being involved with the blog. He mentioned the following about his contribution:
 

 

1.  Make relationships with the people I am interviewing.

 

2. Make contact with people who I might ask to interview. 

 

3. Make relationships with the Haas administrators, alumni and others who support Haas and who look at the blog. 
 

This is networking at its best and it's great because I definitely benefit in similar ways from my www.networkingnote.com blog.   My son is a networker (assuming he stays in touch with the people he meets) and it's great because he does it his way.  Maybe I did rub off in some small way.

I don't normally ask my readers to click to another blog, but this is family.   Please click-through on this blog button.

 

Click Here to get to Nathan Tudhope's Article

Casual Observers Need Not Apply

I received the following e-mail from Bryan Elliott the Founder and Leader of LinkedOC.  I think that he gets at exactly the essence of networking I believe in.  I wanted my readers to see it.

If you are a casual observer on the sidelines of Linked OC and don't want to get in the game, please don't apply for a speaking spot.

To qualify for an invitation to speak you must either be registered for 6/19 http://bit.ly/12dCBuo or be an annual PRO or MasterMind member http://bit.ly/16fQs9Q

At Linked OC, we believe that while there is strength in numbers, value has nothing to do with how many members we have. We’re not keeping score of our popularity or adding hundreds of new ‘friends’ we may never know.

We’re interested in people who care AND who understand that the real value and opportunity of "networking" is when it translates into meaningful relationships of trust. Where members help each other, form a community and prosper. A place where innovation, creativity and collaboration thrive. And self-promotion takes a back seat to generosity.

To apply for a speaking spot, please send an email to: Bryan@LinkedOC.com w/ "Speaker Spot" in the Subject line and a brief paragraph about the kind of expertise you can offer the event.

-Bryan Elliott
http://LinkedOC.com

Real Dividends

This has been a great week for me at work! On each of the past three days we have completed a search that will pay me more than my entire annual compensation in my first year out of college!

I stopped for moment and thought about where these opportunities came from:

Opportunity 1 came to me from a fellow I introduced to his current employer 6 years ago.  He asked me if I knew anyone there and I did, and I introduced him and he was hired.  No fee, just a favor for a new friend.  He is one of the many clients I have today who I met when they were in a job search during the Great Recession. We have had lunch once in those 6 years and I stay in touch with birthday cards.

Opportunity 2 came to me through a contact from the UCLA/Anderson MBA Alumni Network. 7 years ago I started hosting a lunch which now is an institution in the Anderson Network in Southern California.  I have been there each and every month whether there were 8 people or 80.  The CEO that hired me has only been to the lunch 2-3 times and not in the last 2 years (maybe he was too busy and now that I got him some help, he can attend more often!).  I stay in touch with birthday cards and monthly invitations to the UCLA Networking Lunch.

Opportunity 3 came to me from a friend that I met through a friend more than 6 years ago.  He is a great networker and I have always admired that and tried to learn from him. His life has been an odyssey of sorts since I have known him and I have watched and supported him through it.  He is on my birthday card list, but frankly we stay in touch through lunches as he is one of my go-to guys that I call when I get a last minute lunch cancellation.

The lessons learned for me are these:

1.  Relationships are capital, social capital.  When we give, we are making deposits in the "Bank of Social Capital."  The more we give, the more we get (with interest!).  The opportunities just keep on coming.

2.  Networking takes time.  No short cuts or quick fixes.  Each one of these took more than 5 years to happen.

3. The sky is the limit.  I can't believe the value that comes from networking.  Sometimes our contacts think bigger about us than we do about ourselves.

It's a 401(k) World

"In today’s hyperconnected world, we all have to learn much more about investing in ourselves in order to succeed."

I was reading the NY Times Opinion Page this morning and saw this piece by Thomas Friedman.  I devoured his books about the world being flat and loved this editorial which compares how we invest for our retirement today vs. how it was done in the past.  In the past the employer provided defined benefits, now we have defined contribution.  Before it was their responsibility to manage the money and get a return, now it is ours. The individual has the responsibility and the opportunity.  He goes into more details and draws other analogies in the connected world, but it all comes down to the fact that it is up to each of us. In fact, our contribution is what makes all the difference and will define whether we struggle or excel.

The 401k World is so transparent and competitive we must all be on our game.  Freidman says that "the wall, floors, and ceilings that protected people are disappearing."  They are being replaced by information, networks, self-motivation, and creativity.  He also points out that there are few limitations for huge success.

If the company, the government, and the union guidance and protection are gone,  what is the best way to replace those resources, protection, know-how, opportunity, etc.?

  

You and Your network, of course.  Your drive and intelligence, combined with your network's help, good ideas, opportunity, support, money, creativity, connections, etc.

If you don't build a network, the 401(k) World is going to be a lonely and scary place indeed.

Click Here for the link to Mr. Freeman's article

 

http://nyti.ms/16ktXzo

Consistency is Key to Networking

Why... many people ask me, do you count your lunches?  What is the purpose of the lunch counter on your blog? Why do you tweet your lunch count every single day?

I think the short answer is...  because I can.  Who else has nearly 1,700 business lunches in the last 6 and 1/2  years?  I can see it now, all those accountant friends of mine pulling out their calculators. 250 business days per year times 6.5 years plus two weeks of vacation per year means -

I Never Eat Alone.

I started publishing my numbers after reading Scott Ginsberg's blog and seeing the count of his days wearing a name tag.  If it's good enough for him, then it's good enough for me.  He's written 10 books and gets paid around $20k for a keynote. You'd be amazed by the comments I get regarding my daily tweets (@kentudhope on Twitter)- crazy.

The other day a very successful attorney asked me what the key was to my networking success.  Pretty cool he was asking me, he's top dog at an international law firm with offices on every continent.  I said consistency.  Consistency?  Yes! If you choose to take people out to lunch, do it every day, and pay for it every time.  It's a great investment. At about $50 per lunch, I'm in for somewhere around $80,000 so far (actually my competitor Robert Half paid for the first 500 lunches). 

If you're good at golf, schedule some tee times.

If it's birthday cards, then send them and do it every year until you die.  When people move, find them.  If you decide to network through groups then sign up, show up, follow up and step up.  

Networking is not an event. It is consistently doing the things that enable you to connect with people.

50,000 Page Views

I was rereading "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" today and Covey was teaching me about sharpening the saw.  I know about sharp saws, as I worked cutting down trees for a summer in the Napa Valley while I was in college.  100+ degree heat was always an issue.  Poison Oak over 90% of my body sent me to the Emergency Room.  I cut my leg once with a chain saw and received many stitches.  I kept working even after the rest of my crew could not continue.  Nothing like a sharp saw.

Covey thinks that writing makes you sharp.  Yes, much like chain saw.  Recently I passed 50,000 page views on my blogs.  I was hoping the blog would help my business.  I'm not sure if it has.  There are thousands of page views on my blogs that come from outside the United States and I bet they will never buy what I sell.  They might though; I love hope.

I also love big numbers, but I write because it makes me smart.  All these things that I recommend to you, I do for myself and it is paying off.  Covey was great and he never even knew what a blog was.  Thanks for reading.  Thanks for making me sharp.  Thanks for producing more page views than I ever imagined possible!

The Real Fountain of Youth

 

 

 

For years I have gone to the local universities to speak about networking and my Rolodex is full of cards from "twenty-somethings."  I have never taken a dime for my time and none of my clients will pay me a fee to find an entry-level professional.  Why do I do it you might ask?

 

I always thought I did it because I was giving back.  I teach young people what I have learned and what I now wish I knew then when I was their age. I encourage them to network with adults because they are the only source for jobs and opportunity.  It has also been a chance to evangelize about networking.  My family and office co-workers have heard it all and won't stand still to hear any more, but the students are almost a captive audience.  I don't mind that.

 

I have also convinced myself that someday they will grow into valuable clients and candidates and the best way to access them in the future is to get to know them now when their minds are open and there's little or no competition for their attention.  In reality, that is easier said than done.  I've been at it for 7+ years and only placed one candidate through a referral from these connections.

 

In a moment of melancholy this week I started to have some concerns.  At 51, do I have really time to invest in these relationships?  Will I be retired by the time they blossom?  I am glad that I take the long view in most things in my profession, but I have a small business to run and there are several people relying on me to be profitable NOW.  Am I wasting my time?  I don't think so and in that moment, I decided to see the bright side and stay the course.  Then something hit me...

 

Making connections with young people it keeps me young.  If nothing else, it will keep in "in the game" longer as I get older as these investments in social capital mature.  Right now it gives me a reason to interact with young people and that keeps me on my toes with constant change and new ideas.  Instead of complaining about the Millennials, I'm getting to get to know them better.  It keeps me young and will continue to keep me young.

Just like I encourage the students to network with adults because it's where opportunity comes from, I'm now going to encourage my readers to network with young people because it's a great source for creativity, new ideas and energy.  It is a window into the future and a true fountain of youth, a bit like planting the seeds of social capital.

 

How many young people do you have in your network?