Networking with a Master

NETWORKING

WITH A MASTER RITA MCGRATH / THOUGHT SPARKS

INTRODUCTION KEITH FERRAZZI’S WORK ON HOW PEOPLE BECOME SUCCESSFUL IS ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS. HE’S WRITTEN 4 BOOKS, WHICH ARC FROM PERSON-TOPERSON RELATIONSHIPS AND BUILDING A PERSONAL NETWORK TO HIS LATEST IN WHICH HE LOOKS AT THE NEW WORLD OF WORK. JEFF PFEFFER PRAISED HIS APPROACH TO NETWORKING IN HIS NEW BOOK ON POWER. HE’S JOINING ME ON FRIDAY. HERE’S AN OVERVIEW!

NEVER EAT ALONE (2005) THIS RUNAWAY BEST-SELLING BOOK CHANGED THE WAY PEOPLE THINK ABOUT NETWORKING. IT ALSO UNPACKED THE PATH TO SUCCESS FOR MANY. THE PROMISE? IF YOU USE THE CONCEPTS IN THE BOOK, YOU’LL NEVER HAVE TO EAT ALONE! NETWORKING, DESCRIBED IN THE BOOK, IS THE ART OF GIVING OTHERS WHAT WILL HELP THEM ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS. KEITH’S EARLY YEARS SPENT WORKING AT A GOLF COURSE TAUGHT HIM THAT THERE IS ALMOST ALWAYS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO TO CREATE VALUE FOR OTHERS – IN HIS CASE, WALKING THE COURSE IN THE ADVANCE OF THE ARRIVAL OF HIS WEALTHY EMPLOYERS TO PROVIDE THEM WITH INSIGHT INTO HOW A BALL WOULD ROLL.

WHO’S GOT YOUR BACK? (2009) THIS 2009 BOOK SUGGESTS THAT ONE SECRET TO SUCCESS AT WORK, AND MAYBE IN LIFE, IS TO FIND A SMALL GROUP OF INNER CIRCLE CONFIDANTES AND ADVISORS KEITH CALLS “LIFELINE RELATIONSHIPS.” AND SURPRISINGLY, AFTER DOING HUNDREDS OF INTERVIEWS, HE FOUND THAT MANY PEOPLE NOT ONLY DON’T HAVE SUCH A NETWORK BUT HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT HOW TO GO ABOUT CREATING ONE FOR THEMSELVES. THE BOOK RECOMMENDS SEVERAL WAYS TO APPROACH THIS. BEGIN BY IDENTIFYING PEOPLE WHOSE GOALS AND VALUES ARE LIKE YOUR OWN. NEXT, WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR ARE THOSE WITH THE FOLLOWING FOUR QUALITIES:

1

GENEROSI T Y t he y’ r e wi l l i n g t o s ho w up f o r yo u a n d gi v e o f t he ms el v es ( a n d yo u sho uld b e wi lli n g to do t he s a me f or t he m)

2

VULNERABI L I T Y t he y s houl d t r us t yo u e n ough tha t tha t yo u ca n dev elop mut ua l un d e rsta n di n g

3

CANDOR t he y n eed t o b e t r ut h- t e l le rs, wi lli n g to gi v e you f eedba ck t ha t mi g ht b e ha rd to he a r

4

ACCOUNTA B I L I T Y t he y ha v e hi g h s t a n d a r d s a n d e xp e ct to ho ld you t o t he s a me

LEADING WITHOUT AUTHORITY (2020)

WE’RE DOING WORK TODAY WITH THE WORK RULES DESIGNED FOR A DIFFERENT TIME. THAT’S THE CORE THEME OF THIS BOOK. FOR ONE THING, IN A WORLD OF COMPLEXITY, FAST CHANGE AND STUNNING TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS, IT’S TOO MUCH TO EXPECT A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE TO BEAR ALL THE BURDENS OF LEADERSHIP – FIGURING OUT WHAT’S GOING ON AND TELLING PEOPLE WHAT TO DO. THE ANSWER IS TO SPREAD LEADERSHIP MORE BROADLY SO THAT MULTIPLE TALENTS CAN HELP THE ORGANIZATION COPE.

COMPETING IN THE NEW WORLD OF WORK (2022) SI NCE THI S I S T H E O N E WE TA L KE D A BO U T ON AUGUS T 12, I DON’ T WANT T O GI VE TOO MU CH AWAY, BU T I’ L L O F F E R TH E CHAPT ER T IT L ES :

7 0 0 0 / YEAR

Ra di ca l a da pt a b i li t y C ol l a bor a t e t hr o ug h i n clu si o n Le a d t hr oug h e n t e r p r i se a g i le Pr o mot e t ea m r e si li e n ce De v e l o p a ct i v e f o r e si g ht F ut ur e- pr oof yo ur b usi n e ss mo de l Bui l d a l eg o bl o ck wo r kf o r ce Sup er cha r g e yo ur p ur p o se

5 0 0 0 / YEAR

MEANWHILE, AT VALIZE WE’RE LAUNCHING OUR FALL COHORT OF LEARNERS FOR OUR DISCOVERY DRIVEN PLANNING /CREATING CUSTOMER INSIGHT PROGRAM. IN JUST 8 WEEKS, YOU CAN LEARN THE FUNDAMENTALS OF CREATING PRODUCTMARKET FIT, THAT ALL-IMPORTANT STARTING POINT FOR VALUE-CREATING INNOVATION. THERE ARE 6 MINI-COURSES INCLUDED, PLUS 6 LIVE OFFICE HOUR SESSIONS WITH ME.

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