Inspired by a TEDx Portland Talk All Introverts Should Hear.
With TEDx Portland coming up on April 27, I wanted to revisit one of my favorite talks from last year by Rick Turoczy – Building Community: An Introvert’s Guide.
Why is it one of my favorites? Because it highlights the true value of networking when done right. Rick calls attention to the fact that “every person knows someone that someone else should know.” He defines building community as collecting dots by meeting new people and then connecting those dots.
“Building community is not easy work, and we have to do it. Anyone can do it. Literally anyone.”
Rick points out that, introvert or not, it’s easier to meet one-on-one and face-to-face, because it’s not as scary as a group of people or attending an event. By meeting new people with a variety of backgrounds and perspectives, you capture dots that have the potential to benefit other dots.
How do you go about connecting those dots? Rick goes on to say that people tend to open up more quickly around meals or even a cup of coffee. The real value of that interaction comes long after your meeting and upon reflection on the dots you’ve collected, which gain context and start to add value for other dots in your network.
If you’re in professional services, why is this an especially relevant conversation from a business perspective? Because services are a relationship business. You have to get out there and meet new people and find ways to help them either directly or connect them to others where you see potential for synergies. The more dots you collect, the more opportunities you can help bring to light.
Rick challenges everyone to schedule a coffee with one new person to collect one new dot, or say yes to the next coffee invite you get.
“Let’s collect and connect those dots and build a better and more tightly knit community for all of us, two cups of coffee at a time.”
RESOURCES
If you’re looking for a few good coffee spots in Portland, see my blog post: Connecting over coffee? 5 spots in downtown Portland for your next business meet-up
Here are a few great tips from Thrive Global: The Networking Mindset: How you approach networking might be the key to your success at it.
Ewelina Kajak
Founder | Brand Storyteller | Marketing Strategist
PTOWN Communications LLC
971.255.1044