Help Goes Both Ways

Once per month I give a short talk about networking to clients of Right Management Consultants, a firm that assists former employees of their client companies to position themselves to find new careers. Recently, one man talked about how difficult it is for him to ask friends and acquaintances for help. He said, "I have helped so many people through the years, but it is really hard for me to ask now." I hope I provided food for thought with my comments. I asked him how he felt when he was able to help others. Of course he said that doing so felt very good. I then asked him if he realized that by not asking for help he was keeping his friends from having those very same feelings. He said, "That never occurred to me!"

Networking is like that. Good networkers help others first, but they remember that one-sided relationships are not healthy. Allowing others to help is a huge facet of networking!

Is it easy for you to ask for help?