This little boy is a twin. He is a grandson of one of my dearest friends. He is also one funny young man. He tickles my heart and I hope he will tickle yours too.  His name is Ryan.

Ryan is already an innovator. Here, according to him, he has “customized” his piece of bacon by adding chocolate to it. He is at the new restaurant just opened on Randolph off of Michigan Avenue in Chicago. It’s Wildberry, known for its awesome breakfasts.

Consider these three social media innovation tips:

• Social media innovation can happen anywhere where you least expect it. For example, online innovation flourished during the Thailand floods, as the people of Thailand turned to social media for everything from sharing information to comic relief to serious calls for help.
• Social media in companies has a long way to go. If companies would honor their employees and share more personal stories and showcase more about who they are rather than what they do, they will connect more in the cyberworld which is what bringing in the social in the media world is all about.
• Explore social innovation in places like among children, in schools, on streets and write or video your unique self into the fabric of your work.

Finally, the greatest gift you can give to others is the gift of you. I know you’ve got something to offer. We ALL do, something that is all you, something from your heart. In your  effort you will find true innovation.

“Yeah! Let me get your number” *Bumps phone*

“Great! I’ll ping you soon”

[Exenut]

I’ve been building my brand for many years, but I wanted to remind you Networlding is not just another name for networking. No, I specifically designed my business, Networlding, to be revolutionize the meaning of networking.  Old fashioned networking is equivalent to the ”bump it” app on our smartphones and getting as many numbers, followers, or friends on our social media platforms. Or even simply exchanging business cards.  You might think it is radical to call it old fashioned, seeing as social media is still an exciting trend to last for years to come, but Networlding is a practice all of us should adopt to to actually see results from making connections.

I was recently talking with a group of leaders and made this observation to them. They had a hard time grasping this concept so I thought I would share it with others to get your thoughts.

In Chris Brogan’s book Trust Agents he talks about the fact that the Internet offers us the new opportunity to meet all those like valued people that were previously ellusive. Now we can connect with these people and co-create amazing new opportunities. Sometimes these people will be our clients or customers, sometimes they will be people who connect with us online.

This week I met five amazing leaders– only one was connected to me by people I have met in person. The other four were introduced by people I have met online. They were able to connect with me quite effectively and quickly as they had oodles of info on me written by me and others. They could further talk to me from their place of what mattered most to them that was also relevant to me–Points of Commonality as I call them.

How do you weigh in? Can introductions be just as strong as a referral?

STEP NUMBER 1:

Create Your Values Foundation.

We all have values, but what are your top four and, if you can, what are they in level of priority?

Carol had been what we call in Networlding “baseline networking” for years. She was at the top of her game working as Director of HR for a large organization. However, the long hours and an intense travel schedule left Carol feeling that her personal life lacked balance. From layoffs and career changes to being sought out for competitive executive positions, Carol had been through all of the ups and downs of corporate life.

As she began thinking about what she wanted her future to look like she thought more about her childhood dream of being a physiologist. Carol appreciated valued-based business and aspired to start an individual psychology practice of her own.

With these goals in mind Carol took the first step in Networlding and identified her top four values:

• Spirituality
• Connection
• Making a difference
• Achievement

With these values in mind, Carol decided to leave her six-figure salary and return to graduate school. By understanding her values Carol will not lose sight of them through her process. With her values in mind she is more apt to meet others with similar values and build a network of people around her that will help maintain these values. She will also vocalize her values more often and make requests to be introduced to people who hold similar and complimentary values.

Networlding is the science and art of making meaningful connections and leveraging those connections in new and powerful ways.  Networlding is an accelerated networking program based on growing mutually beneficial relationships with key “connectors” who have similar and complementary values.

Networlding  is  much more effective than traditional networking because it will show you how to create an entire support system that includes both people who will help you in the short term as well as  people who will help you leverage long-term, transformational opportunities, time and time again.  It also shows you how to create for others and yourself, true fulfillment in the process. 

When Peter Drucker, the guru of management, asked a recent class of MBA students what they would call this new, connected society, they responded, “We’d call it the New Network Society.”  To take full advantage of this new age, we need to understand how we are all connected and how to use these connections for mutual gain.  We also need to make a shift in our professional and personal strategies for getting ahead.  This shift is from a “me” perspective to the more leveraged “we” perspective. This means forming and maintaining relationships in radically different ways.

Networlding is the strategy that will allow you to shift your focus from the opportunities, to the people who can help you take advantage of those opportunities . . . to transform relationships from a pipeline to opportunities to a lifeline in our new world of work.

To receive more information about Networlding click here