A conversation between myself and a networking friend arose recently. We were talking about this and that. Little business mixed with personal and a few wise cracks in between. She said something, that quite frankly suprised me. I don't remember exactly how she phrased it. It was something to the affect of "You are a great networker, always say the nicest things to people in the networks and you're so supportive. You're Nice"
Me? I thought. Nice? ha ha ha ho ho ho. I nearly fell off my chair. But it sure did feel good to hear it. My reply was exactly this "No, I am not always nice, but I do always care" How does this relate to a Secret Garden? It really is no secret and certainly not patented by me.
Let's think of our different networks of friends, warm market and cold alike. This is your garden. This is where you meet new people. This is where you build relationships. This is where you receive referrals. This is where you ultimately see results. Something Grows.
How will your garden grow?
Simplicity. Nurture your garden with CARE.
Be Sincere and Accountable in your intentions and expect the same from others. Be Involved. Build trust. Give others a chance to be on top.
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
- Maya Angelou quotes
Don't Kill Your Crops
Lip service is a bad seed. Get it out of your garden and get it out quick. You'll know who constantly makes promises without sincere intentions of following through.
Negativity and Gossip. These are your Locust.
They form bands as nymphs and swarms as adults—both of which can travel great distances, rapidly stripping fields and greatly damaging crops.
Greed- one of the seven deadly sins.
Allowing or contributing these types of behavior into your garden will only hinder growth for all involved.
Finally, do not expect immediate results. Building any network, customer base, relationship, anything in life takes Care, Nurturing, Patience and many times pounds of dirt.
About Me
- Kathy Miranda
- I Reside in NJ with two sons and husband. The Youngest of 5 siblings and by far the most intelligent. ha ha. I like to try and see the fun and funny side of things. Being the only woman in the house , this is an absolute must to keep any level of sanity. I love my home and family. On the flip side, meeting new people and discovering what lies in their hearts' is fascinating to me.
This is a great post. I really enjoyed the analogies you presented. Very well thought out and thought provoking.
ReplyDeleteI'm your newest follower thanks to SBM--Julee@Mommy's Memorandum