Originally published on LinkedIn
Diet?
Stop smoking?
Exercise?
All of these are wonderful and worthy goals that I encourage you to act on but with rare exceptoins, they are not goals that should be on the top of your radar.
What is the goal that should head your list?
To me, the goal that should hold that place is:
Build and maintain your network.
There are many reasons why this should hold a preeminent place in your thinking.
1. Having a great network will provide you with support around subjects you are not as expert at as you may think.
The ability to ask for support from people willing to provide can provide a great fall back if events require you to stretch yourself into places, tasks and environments where you may be uncomfortable. Wise cooundel from your network can make a world of difference to you.
2. You may need to look for a job and your network can help you. Networking remains the primary way that people find work. That network can be built on LinkedIn or offline but you need a network of willing people to draw upon should you decide (or your firm decides) that need to look for work.
3. Having a great network allows you to demythologize successful people. It is common for people to hold up people with certain levels of success, fame and celebrity as better than they are. In fact, these are people who are human beings with many of the same failings as you. Once you see them as being human beings, rather than “your betters” you will see personal growth in yourself that is remarable.
4. You will have a chance to help others. Whether you believe in “The Law of Attraction” r do it because it is the right thing to do, giving more will get you more including much greater happiness.
5. Networking can be a place where you let your guard down and ask questions that may seem “unconventional.” Networking offers the opportunity to ask the questions you are afraid to ask your wife, husband, partner, friends, colleagues and boss because you don’t want to look bad.
There are many more reasons to network that may be unique to you and your needs and circumstances.
For myself, I have sat with people once a week, offering and receiving support. The advice I have received has changed my life and I know I have done the same for others.
Maybe if you try, you’ll reap many of the benefits I have.
© The Big Game Hunter, Inc. Asheville, NC 2016
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter has been a coach and recruiter for what seems like one hundred years.
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