This year I hooked up with some fascinating folks while attending/participating in 2006 conferences and workshops…
- Inventors Alliance/Doug Hall event (February)
- TiECon / conference (May)
- Blogher 2006 / conference (July)
- Bank of America /HOLA kick-off (September)
- Indian Business & Professional Women / conference (October)
Connections are great—don’t you agree? Then you know reconnections are even better! But you can’t do either if you aren’t willing to risk rejection. And that’s when fear can raise its ugly head.
I was reminded of this during a cafe break with Usha Sekar who I met at this year’s TiECon. Within minutes of meeting one another we were comparing notes on innovation that picked up steam when Dr. Thomas Fogarty joined our table. (Be sure to check out Usha’s pithy blog for entrepreneurs The Startup Ethos).
This past week Usha and I reconnected, chatting about how fear often takes innocuous forms labeled as boredom, disinterest or even doubt. You might avoid reaching out to someone across the table, across the room, or across the organization by convincing yourself that the other person has nothing to offer. Or, perhaps, you doubt your own abilities and life experiences and think that you have nothing to share. So it becomes easier to choose the path of least resistance—in this case inaction—not knowing what might have been.
Risktaking isn’t always about big, bold moves. Stepping out in small ways, everyday gets us to our final destination, too.
The next time you freeze up when attempting to reach out try looking beyond where you stand today. These three things work for me…
Real Curiosity
When you’re genuinely curious about the world beyond your own space you’re willing to explore and find out more about it. People (yes, even the shy ones) like sharing their stories. What’s in it for you? It gets your creative juices pumped!
Consider trying a couple of things in the next few weeks. Pick up a book, magazine, or visit a web site that has absolutely nothing to do with your line of work, business or lifestyle. Read it for the pleasure of learning something you didn’t know before. You don’t have to adopt or even agree with the author’s point of view, but try not to judge it while you’re taking in the content.
Another action you can take is to reach out and introduce yourself to someone you’ve wanted to meet, then get out of your way and allow curiosity to take the lead.
Genuine Interest
Genuine interest equals generosity. When was the last time you helped someone without a “catch” attached? It might have been something as simple as an email from a colleague asking for information or maybe someone you’ve just met needing your help in opening a door to a new job.
Lending a hand without expecting anything in return connects you with people on a different level—a bit of an art form really. Yes, you might benefit through reciprocity down the road, but you don’t have a hidden agenda at the moment you say “Yes”.
People are floored when you ask “What can I do to help you?” Try it. But try it only if you mean it. You don’t have to be the one solving the problem. This is where your connections come in to play. You “cross-pollinate” and then step out of the way for others to connect.
Powerful Possibilities
Think bigger and wider! Increase the number of people you connect with and you increase your opportunities. No experience is wasted unless you choose not to use it.
This is why I’ve invited guest bloggers to share their passions and unique perspectives on business topics—I get to learn something new, my (growing) blog community gets a different view on strategy, creativity, collaboration, and relationship building (to name a few), and my guest bloggers get connected with new readers.
Along with New Zealand native, Andrew T. Smith, who blogged on innovation strategy earlier this year, down the road you’ll get to hear from two women I met at this year’s Blogher conference: Kim Kooyers—writer, editor, marketer, and mediation facilitator—and Jennifer Simpson—creative writer, problem-solver extraordinaire, and innovative service provider.
I look forward to learning something new myself!
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