Greater Phoenix's Networking Events Calendar

"I am surrounded by great people here.  I am more interested in building great relationships during this program than anything else." ~ Dan E.

My friend Dan was sharing his vision for his experience in an Executive MBA program we were participating in.  We had a very special group of people.  I knew that.  My focus was on simply getting the work done, obtaining my degree, and getting on with my all-important career.  Dan's words caught my attention.  He made me realize that there was something much more special going on in that program and it was much more important than the learning.  Here I was surrounded by 65 other high-performing, highly motivated, very talented professionals and I was not taking advantage of the connections I could be building.  Those comments changed the course of my experience in that program.  And it completely altered the manner in which I maneuvered through life's connections from that day forward. 

Too often we find ourselves in an environment, be it a networking function or a trade association event, where we are focusing on what we want to accomplish in meeting people.  We have decided that we need to meet a certain person or group of people that can help us get what we want--a job, a connection, a referral.  Unfortunately, that simple single-mindedness is actually more limiting than it is empowering.  What we need to be focusing on is creating real relationships. We need to find opportunities to build multiple levels and types of connections.

There are a lot of interesting, talented, and capable people passing through our lives on a daily basis.  Many of them are not in a position to influence your business success, cannot provide you the right referral, or even has a product or service you value.  However, most everyone of them has life experiences, a passion for something, and a certain energy that simply could make them worth your time, provided you are receptive to it.  My lesson to you is to spend a little more time building these very interesting connections. You can learn a great deal along the way.  You have an opportunity to build a unique connection.  And you will start to recognize the unbelievable power that exists in great relationships.  That lesson changed my professional career and my life.  It can't hurt yours.

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