When you’re meeting people, are you doing it to see what you can get from them?
Are you making value judgments about whether they are able to help you, and then brushing people off who are not “important enough”?
I believe that “Because people matter, we must lead them well.”
This means that there are at least two reasons to connect with others:
This means that there are at least two reasons to connect with others:
- People matter – Intrinsically, people are important – regardless of the role or job function that they hold. We need to treat all people with respect, just because people matter.
- You never know who they know! Bob Burg says that every person you met knows about 250 other people, and you don’t know who they know – and what opportunities may come from those connections!
Last night I attended an event and met lots of people. It was terrific. Toward the end of the night I was chatting with one of the attendees and one of the workers at the event. We were having a good conversation, and the other attendee excused herself. I was left chatting with someone who was clearly not in the target market for my services.
In my continuing conversation about leadership with this gentleman, he mentions a 20+ year personal relationship he has had with one of the top leaders in one of the most profitable businesses in the US.
I don’t see myself targeting this leader as a sales prospect, but it reminded me again that you never know!
Respecting others – even those who can’t obviously help you – is a part of “Raising Your Game”