After assessing my output of articles this year, I couldn’t help but notice that the content has been somewhat academic, and perhaps dry and “heady”. That can be fine and good, but my own personal barometer tells me that in these challenging times and this roller-coaster year that’s been 2008, I should at least go out with a bit of the levity that some of my long-time readers might remember. I wish you all a Happy Holiday Season and a Happy, Healthy New Year. Enjoy my “little poem”…
‘Twas the night before networking,
And as I looked ‘round my room,
I couldn’t help but feeling,
An impending doom.
I sighed as I reviewed,
The clothes I would wear,
And went over the way,
To show others I care.
As I looked out my window,
Upon the neighbors yards,
I remembered to make sure,
I had enough business cards.
And what to ask of the other,
Attendees I meet?
Would my message be clear?
Or would they stare at their feet?
Yes…something was missing,
Although I could not place it,
I knew that eventually,
I would just have to face it.
So I prayed and prayed,
For some heavenly insight,
As I stared out my window,
Looked out into the night.
Just then I heard it,
Louder than a mouse,
I hoped it would not wake,
My children and spouse.
She floated into my room,
Almost too dazzling to see,
And I awkwardly asked,
“Who are you supposed to be?”
She exclaimed, “I’m the angel,
Of all things ‘referrals’!”
And I took note she was surrounded,
By birds, bunnies and squirrels
And I asked, “Why are you here
At this time of the night?”
She responded, “To give you
Some ‘heavenly insight’!”
I said, “You don’t understand!”
As I stammered and hurried,
“It’s of global economic crises
And my business I am worried!”
“There are sell-offs and layoffs,
I am financially impaired!
Politicians are useless,
And quite frankly, I’m scared!”
“I have notable skills,
I am willing and able,
Yet unsure if I can keep,
Food on our table!”
Through my long diatribe,
She still shone like the sun,
And then she patiently smiled and asked,
“Are you done?”
“Instead of just looking,
At what you have not,
It’s time to focus on,
The things that you’ve got”
“You have a family that loves you,
Pages written and inked in,
Friends on Facebook and,
500+ contacts on LinkedIn.”
“Your friends at the Chamber,
Know for any task you are fitted,
And remember those skills,
To which before, you admitted?”
“We issue many challenges,
In many shapes and many forms,
And now you and the world,
Face one of our darker storms.”
“What you’re seeing is conflict,
Between established and new,
Many contacts of yours know what’s come before,
Will no longer do.”
“So to weather the storm,
Look beyond things you lack,
For it’s only your fears,
That are holding you back.”
“When you network with fear,
It just leads to more talk,
Then round and round in circles,
You will continue to walk.”
“So look to your network,
Take action! Form teams!
Identify problems!
‘Bust out’ at the seams!”
“Network with passion and purpose,
In all of its forms,
Nothing lasts forever,
Not even our storms.”
“In time you will realize,
Seas are calm, skies are blue,
The worst part is over,
Yet there’s still more to do!”
“Then you’ll look back fondly,
On the lessons you’ve learned,
New friends you have found,
RC* you have earned.”
With that she hugged me,
Then her wings had unfurled,
“Remember to ‘be the change,
You want to see in this world’.”
As she turned to leave, I said, “Wait!
What can I do for you?”
She replied, “Spread my message
To all those close to you.”
“Tell Kensel, tell Victor,
Tell Ivan and Ron,
Tell
Don’t forget dear
“Tell Donna, tell Heshie,
Chris, Lynn and Noelle,
Jason, Rita and Larry,
And
“Tell Matt and Kathleen,
Tell Glen, Jay and Andy,
Tell Bill, Ann and Terry,
Tell Maria and Candy”
“Tell Bruce and Danielle,
Tell the Chinese and the Scottish
Tell Joyce and Patricia
And that dude named ‘Biadasz’”
I thanked the dear Angel
Of All Things “Referrals”
And then picked up after all
The birds, bunnies and squirrels
And then I heard as she laughed
And flew out of sight
“Happy Networking to all
And to all a good night!”
* Relationship Capital, for those newbies out there
See you in 2009!
The Emergence of the Relationship Economy
Relationship Capital is the cornerstone of the Relationship Economy, which RNIA defines as “a measurement assigned to individual and organizational entities based on the relationship interactions between them, and the interactions they have internally.” I am proud to have contributed discussion of the Ten Laws of Relationship Capital to the upcoming book The Emergence of the Relationship Economy, now out as an eBook and in hardcopy. With a forward written by Doc Searls (of Cluetrain Manifesto fame), it is being considered a “must read” for anyone responsible for the strategic direction of their business. If you would like to purchase your own copy of The Emergence of the Relationship Economy, please click here.
________________________________________________________Posted to THE NATIONAL NETWORKER. To subscribe for your free newsletter, go to www.TheNationalNetworker.com. For the complete National Networker Relationship Capital Toolkit and a free RSS feed, go to: http://thenationalnetworkerweblog.blogspot.com.
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