It’s Valentine’s Day and love is in the air! Let’s each take a moment today to thank our support networks to be sure they know how much we love and appreciate them.
As you know, networking can be a time consuming endeavor. It takes scheduling and coordination. In many cases, it is not immediately obvious what information we have to exchange with the people we are meeting, so it is not immediately obvious why the lives of those around us should be disrupted. But, as we have discussed time and again, one never knows what good can come of a networking encounter until it happens! Those around us provide us with the ability to conduct that exploration and are a big factor in our networking success – even if they are not sitting there with us sipping lattes.
So with that, today, I want to thank my Valentine’s, Marc and Ian, my husband and son, respectively, for their love and support – especially as I have embarked on my networking quest. Through example, let me share a glimpse into the way that they provide me with their love and encouragement…
I try to work networking into my day so that it doesn’t interfere with my family’s overall schedule. Typically, my household springs to life (when our dog barks at 5am or…) between 6:30-7am. We run through our morning routine – shower, get dressed, make beds, eat breakfast – and we’re out the door around 8:15am in time to drop off Ian at school and get me on my way to my morning Coffee at 8:30am. Generally, that works out, but as recently as last night, I scheduled a 7:45am meeting for next week. That’s not going to work for us, is it? But wait! It is. My guys are going to ensure that it does. Marc has already agreed to alter his schedule a bit to accommodate mine, Ian will adjust his routine to enable me to be out the door by 7:15am that morning so that I can make to my meeting on time. Thank you, Marc and Ian – I love you!
Then, there’s Lunch and afternoon Coffee. For this, I must thank my colleagues at work, especially Michele and Kim. They are my partners in ensuring a strong company that operates in a smooth and efficient manner on a daily basis. I’m often in the office by 9am, out the door again at 11:30am for Lunch, then gone again by 3pm for Coffee. Michele and Kim don’t miss a beat. They have it covered. Just last week, in fact, I had to be out of the office for a couple of days. Michele knew that I was behind on some phone calling. She didn’t cluck her tongue and say, “too bad for you;” no, she asked me to send her contact information for people that she could return calls to on my behalf. Not to mention that she and Kim both have their own busy calendars and Coffee-Lunch-Coffee schedule to maintain! Team, Thank you for all that you do! You make our company – you make me – look so good and I love you!
Of course, I can’t let this moment slip by without a big shout out to my own personal, professional network! Thank you – and you know who you are – for meeting me for Coffee, Lunch, Drinks and Coca-Colas in between. I am grateful to all of you for sharing your time, your wisdom, your insights with me. Whether you asked me for the meeting or I requested it of you, I’m the one who always feels richer for the experience. I’m proud to include you among my cohort – thank you for including me among yours. Indeed, I love you!
Tell someone that you love them today! Don’t wait! Whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day is irrelevant – it’s just a good excuse to show your adoration and appreciation to those around you. Their willingness and ability to prop you up, enable you to succeed, support your endeavors are true gifts.
Oh, and by the way, thank you for your support and interest in networking and in my rantings on the topic from week to week. I love YOU!