I'm a fifth-generation San Franciscan who moved to Minneapolis "temporarily" 25 years ago. For me, one of the most compelling features of the Twin Cities, is the attention and general interest that the community has towards the 'arts'.
This interest was highlighted this past weekend, with the re-opening of the Walker Art Center...which had been closed during the past 1-2 years while undergoing a $135 million expansion. The re-opening event that I attended was a mob scene...with a line that went out the door 200+ yards. Once inside, milling about with a drink in my hand, I realized that the event was also a super-networking opportunity...attended by a veritable Who's Who of the Twin Cities arts and business scene.
It's at events like this that it becomes apparent that 'networking' is a genuine skill that can be acquired (Smile - Look the person in the eye - Listen - Pay attention to your body language - Give genuine compliments - Ask for people's business cards). At the same time I am nervous that networking can also be seen as a cynical tactic for manipulating ones way to success. Keith Ferrazzi, author of Never Eat Alone (Amazon link) has a good description of this. He abhors the analogy of a network that is akin to, "people in a net, into which you wrangle contacts like a school of struggling cod."
At the same time, networking allows one to turn business acquaintances into real friendships. As we've discussed previously, "likability" is an important precursor to many advisor-client relationships. Networking at events like museum openings enables the advisor to engage and connect with others...without mentioning a word about business.
I'll discuss this in greater detail in future posts.
Mean I just read through the entire article of yours and it was quite good but since I'm more of a visual learner,I found that to be more helpful.
Posted by: Nike Air Max 95 | December 20, 2011 at 12:50 AM