How to Connect with People

From Knowledge To Application

I just pulled out Keith Ferrazzi’s book “Never Eat Alone”. I think this must be my 6th time reviewing the book. Do you have books like this? Certain books that you regularly review? I don’t think information is our problem today. We’re starved for wisdom in a sea of information. If you’re like me, I read hundreds of blogs a week and have a list of books I’m working through right now but information is not my issue, wisdom is! I define wisdom as the application of knowledge. I’m only as smart as the information I actually apply! We don’t have an information problem, we’ve got an action problem. I know it’s true for me. If I were to kick the person most responsible for my problems, I wouldn’t be able to sit down for a week! Here is some of the information I learned from Keith Ferrazzi and what I’m actively doing to apply that information:

When you help others, they often help you

I’m asking myself every morning, “Who can I be a blessing to today?” This question drives the day for me. Success in any field, no matter what you do, is about working with people. Organizations are driven and determined by people so I’m always looking to help. I look for creative ways to connect by sharing my knowledge, resources, time, energy and friends in my quest to provide value to others. The great part about this type of lifestyle is that it increases my own value. It’s a mindset of trying to find ways to make other people successful.

Don’t Keep Score

One of my main goals is to continue to develop relationships with people that are little farther ahead than I am and one major ingredient they all seem to possess is generosity. Connecting with people is a continual process of giving and receiving, of asking for help and also offering it! When I put people in contact with each other, through giving my time and expertise, the pie gets bigger for all of us. The more people you help, the more help you will have and the more help you’ll have helping others. Building your network becomes extremely valuable but you can’t do it by keeping score. Investing time and energy in building personal relationships with the right people will pay dividends. The currency of true networking is not greed but generosity. You gain trust and a network not by asking what people can do for you, but ask, “What can I do for someone else?”

Connect My Goals to People

For the last few years I’ve used a Relationship Action Plan. When you goal set you typically decide what are the achievements you want to accomplish and when do you want to accomplish them. Many times people miss the relationship aspect of each goal. Usually there are people that you need to help you get the job done. Anything you want in life is something that someone has already done. Discover who that person is and learn their secrets. My people desperately want to know “how”. They are searching for “the how” and don’t understand: The How is hidden in the Who. Who is where I want to be and what did they do to get there? There is a symbiotic relationships between goal setting and reaching out to people who can help us achieve those goals. Who do you need to know?