Timing is everything. We know that luck can play a huge part in the success of our careers. Yet, when you start knowing people who land great jobs, work with great clients or get the best promotions, you start seeing that these people have a huge network behind them of mentors and supporters. The real question then is:
When do you invest in those relationships with your time and energy? When you need them? Or when you don’t?
I was having a conversation with one of my current class participants – Frank – and he’s a pretty networked guy. The conversation turns to the biggest pet peeves we have with folks who are great at coming to connectors to ask for help with making a conversation happen. Being generous folks that connectors are, they drop what they are doing and initiate an introduction to a great opportunity for the person making the request. For the requester, the job is landed or the client engaged and happily ever after ensues. Connectors do this regularly, so when doors are opened for someone and that same someone has the opportunity to help someone else, there is an expectation of a level of effort to payback what someone has done for them. It is not about payback; it is about reciprocity.
Connectors understand that connections happen when you need them, because you invest in people when you don’t need them. You don’t do it expecting quid pro quo. You do it because you recognize to get what you want, you must help others get what they want. You pay it forward. You establish emotional bank accounts. Or when you need something, you’ll be the one not getting your call returned. Because something else connectors understand is that they shouldn’t spend their time with people who ‘don’t get it’ and thus function with insufficient funds in their ‘emotional bank account’.
So go help someone, pay it forward.
Open a door for someone else that leads to a great opportunity – with your only expectation be of the good feeling you get. Because someday, you may need that same someone to do the same for you…