Network Fund. Have. One.
Meeting New People #
Regardless of your location, do make it a must to meet new people on a regular basis. In my current city, I do so once to twice a month which is not recommended. When I was living in Asia (Hong Kong and Singapore), this would happen on a weekly basis.
*Seek introductions by browsing through your already existing network or….
Tell People What you Want #
Sometimes, it is great to share with people within your network what are the things that you wanna do, learn and know about. I realised that sometimes it does not work but when it does, it works wonderfully well. Give it a try. Tell more people that you wanna do something and perhaps, someone out there is listening and will respond to you.
Network Fund - Investment Principles #
I make it sound like a serious thing but it is not. Well, it is relevant and useful for many of us - people who are hustling all the time and interested in business or being part of a bigger community - and I believe that following the 2 simple and actionable ideas, you could develop your network of (professional) friends.
(1) Listen and Listen More.
I am a coach by training and listening actively to a higher level is one of the essential tool in professional coaching. I like to listen to as many people as possible and filter out which are worth listening to and which one are promising.
If you are attending a talk or having a meeting with a prospective client, business partner or in a social setting, pay attention closely to your emotions and to the inner voice in your head. Your own guts will tell you whether this person is worth your listening time.
(2) Speak out.
As a data-driven individual and yet, I am slowly transitioning into a career which is all about people. Coaching, so far, is not a quantifiable profession and yet, it attracts me. I like to connect and help others. And I dont hesitate to voice it out.
I mentor at Lean Startup Machine for many reasons and some of them are because of the opportunity to listen to others, share what I know…and ask questions that help others to think deeper over a period of 3 days.
If you get the chance to share your opinion, whether it is personal or professional, just do it. You may blog or make use of your favourite social network to share short or long pieces of your own thoughts.
By the way, blogging helps you to keep things in perspective for yourself and drive new forms of inspiration and self-reflections.
Practicality #
On a more practical side,
- Attend events and if possible, be selective without being too picky. You do want to meet people who have similar interests (or totally diverging ones) without burning yourself out.
- Join communities. Online or physical. Meetups or linkedin groups.
- Be proactive. Blog on a blogging platform or social media (Facebook/Twitter/Linkedin) and reach out to people rather than wait to be reached.