Networking Revised!

I left the corporate world of semiconductor manufacturing over 7 years ago and I've never looked back. Meeting people, getting different perspectives on life and philosophies is so much more enriching than the very routinized world of engineering. I am reminded of this yet again as I've recently become involved with a new form of networking.

I've been a BNI member and chapter president, I've held memberships in as many as 3 chambers of commerce at one time and served as an ambassador but I've never felt the 'givers gain philosophy' as strongly as experienced when I was introduced to Networked Events. Stephen Labuda owns his own business and has devoted much of his time to helping people network with other serious networkers. This is a volunteer effort that Stephen started with a group of business people who wanted to meet on a regular basis for low to no cost networking. A well known local (or is that loco?) business coach has encouraged Stephen to assist in bringing his philosophy and networking expertise to central Massachusetts. I was invited to attend the initial discussion meeting and participate in the decision to bring Networked Events to the greater Worcester area.

The result of the kick-off discussion was that all of the attendees of that meeting were invited to attend a Networked Event in Lexington so that we could experience the philosophy in action.

Very often when I go to a breakfast, business after hours etc. I come back to my desk with a handful of business cards of people that I've just met. I go through the cards and decide who I'd like to do some follow-up or add to my LinkedIn account. Typically there's one or two people that I feel comfortable with right off the bat, people who I'd be willing to have future discussions with and possibly refer to my clients.

I am at my desk doing my follow-up work from the Networked Event and there is only one card that I don't think is an appropriate fit for my network. That one card is for a mortgage lender who is clearly out of my service territory. All of the people that I met through Networked Events were people truly interested in meeting new contacts and building a network of outstanding referral sources. This was the most efficient use of my networking time that I have experienced to date.

BIG KUDOS for Networked Events and I am very excited to be part of the Central Mass kick-off taking place on October 13th at Worcester's Union Station.