Ben’s Newsletter: The ReConnecting Challenge

Hi there, in my last newsletter I mentioned an old mate who is a partner in a law firm. Over the last three years his partners had been ‘missing in market’ – the junior ones had not been out building their personal professional networks, and his older partners had been neglecting them.

I have had a flurry of emails and calls off the back of this and it is clear that he isn’t the only business that has been suffering from this over the last three years. And it sound like a few business owners have been guilty of this to!

Professional networks are a bit like a house – you can get away without maintaining them for two or three years, but if you are not careful they start falling down around you!

But, as New Zealand business leaders we have another issue – after the last three years many of our people will no longer go to client events or do other relationship building activity after hours. Their view is that it is outside office hours and therefor voluntary, and for many expectations have changed at home.

I guess to a point they are right. But to me they are missing the key point.

When you start out in work there is plenty to learn. It is a phase of learning and doing. As you get better at your job you progress, and your value to an employer goes up.

But this is not the only value that you are paid for.

As a person’s career progresses their value is not only in what they can do, but also in how they can access insight, support and business. The value of their professional networks affects their personal market value and will determine their success should they choose to start a business.

Many have invested several years in education to get a good job. They need to now invest in personal networks to get a good career. And that is equally true of we business owners.

The ReConnecting Challenge

I have decided to launch The ReConnecting Challenge.

?I am inviting you to join it.

Over the next three months it is an opportunity -

1.??????For each of us to make a conscious effort to reconnect with people we may not have seen much of in the last three years.

2.??????To have a positive conversation with younger businesspeople about the role and value of their personal professional network, to mentor them, and to provide opportunities for them to practise networking, and

3.??????To look to some of the successes in our businesses and tell the stories about the connections that allowed them to happen.

I suggest we run this for three months from now to the end of October.

Your ReConnecting Challenge Action List

If you are up for the challenge here are a few suggestions.

1.??????Grab a coffee. Sit down. Make a list of a few of the people you have not seen for a while. Get in touch with them and reconnect.

2.??????Share the message with your teams. Encourage them to join the challenge!

3.??????Sit down with your younger team members, discuss the personal value they can create from developing their network. Then support them in taking action.

4.??????Share the stories internally (and on LinkedIn) of the value you have added and received through connection with your personal network.

And the easy bit... please - reshare this newsletter on LinkedIn!

The Pesky Thing Called Time

Now I know that many of us don’t have time to do a heap of coffee catch up’s, so for those of you involved in Connector Communities feel free to use your monthly event as an opportunity to bring those connections, introduce them to some other business owners and have a beer. Just remember to let your community leader know so she can send out the details.

Or – if you are feeling you want to build on your network and want to come along to Connector let your local community leader know. Dates and contact details are below in my signature.

So - let’s get reconnecting; and remember to have fun out there! Cheers

Ben

Mobile: 027 4799 950

Website Link: Connector Communities

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About The Author: Ben Marris runs Connector communities for the owners and leaders of emerging ($1m to $10m turnover) growth companies and the advisors and suppliers who support them. He believes that these companies are vital for the prosperity of our communities in a fast-changing world. He loves red wine and a good story. He is also dyslexic, so if there are any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors blame his spell check, he does!

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