I like to be the first one to tell others about industry buzz. Part of that is an ego thing, but it pays dividends too. Like a gossip-columnist that gets salacious rumors from her readers and thus becomes a self-propelling dynamo, I get the inside scoop from my network on things that help me run my company better and in-turn make me a better source for information.
You should do the same. That anyway is the thesis of Keith Ferrazzi in his book Never Eat Lunch Alone. I’m just part way through his book, but Keith makes a persuasive case that success depends on efficiently sharing information.
Keith goes too far in suggesting that you should seek out and ask for help from anyone in your social sphere (isn’t that what gets relatives selling Amway in trouble?), but he’s right that a bigger problem is that people tend to simply stay in their shell and not take risks.
I look forward to reading Keith’s chapter on networking at conferences. With conference season for the staffing industry approaching, I’ll have ample opportunity to put his suggestions to work.
