The Problem
Readers tell me one of their least favorite activities is networking. It’s stressful. It seems forced. It feels unnatural. Those sentiments are blockers to emailing that person on your list you really want to meet one-on-one: the person who can help you achieve your next goal.
The Big Small Thing
Readers also tell me one of their favorite activities is learning. So. What if you reframed networking as simply an opportunity to learn. Heck, we could even rename it “learnworking.”
Think of that one-on-one meeting simply as an opportunity to:
- Learn a new perspective
- Increase your knowledge about a different industry
- Gain a new friend or mentor
This reframe might be enough for you to get over the hurdle of sending that email to schedule time.
How This Helps You Get What You Want
You already know that to be successful in life, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. When you build your network, conversation by conversation, you get one step closer to your goals. Also, as much as you like to learn, people like to teach. So it’s win win. People are often flattered, not annoyed, when you ask them for time and give them an opportunity to teach you.
