My New Sister

We are so lucky this week to have Priya Gokhale staying with us. She is an architect from India, who is in the states on a Rotary business exchange program. In her mid 30's Priya is very accomplished.

Even though Priya is the age of my youngest child, I feel like I have the sister this week that I've never had.

Here are some tidbits of what I've found out from Priya:

Priya's generation of women are both traditional and modern. They have careers and they also value family and home. Priya chose her field, because while she loved art, she knew that she could not make money being an artist. She also considered engineering, but wanted a job with more people contact. With architecture she could work from her home in a creative medium and she would also have contact with her clients. Priya shared that the next generation of Indian women are not so traditional, that they will sometimes let business take priority over family.

Priya also is the editor of a glossy, four color architectural design magazine that is published every other month. She interviews architects in order to feature them and their projects in the publication. What I found really interesting was that it is published in English. She said that in India, business is conducted in English.

Last night at dinner, Priya shared that women do not serve in restaurants in India. While they do staff hospital emergency rooms, for some reason they have not made an entry in the food service industry. She is not sure why and also is sure that it will change in the next several years. Priya said that what has changed in India is that they now value all work, that no work is beneath another type of work. She thinks that in the states we are ahead in that area.

Her view of the United States before she came, has of course come from movies. She said that is was a positive picture, but it is different in so many ways than the movies. Not a surprise!

Yesterday, I asked David Munger, co-owner of Munger and Munger, to meet with us at the Perrysburg library. David is the architect who worked on the successful expansion of this library about 7 or 8 years ago and he is also the president of the library board. As president he also serves on the foundation board, of which I am a member. David gave us the tour of the library and the explanation of the expansion along with other tidbits about the building. Priya loved this experience, and I've got to tell you that I did too. I really didn't know David that well or had I viewed the library in such a detailed way. It all goes back to making personal introductions. People ask why I take the time to do those and I share that I always learn and develop my relationship with both people that much more.

When was the last time you learned something new about someone you thought you knew really well?

Tracee, "Meet Dan"

People often ask me why I take my valuable time to personally introduce people. Friday I introduced my friend Tracee Swank, True Compass Coaching, to Dan Rogers, the CEO of The Cherry Street Mission. Dan and I had been introduced briefly when he attended a Certified Networker graduation. He was there to accept a check. One MVP from a Certified Networker class had named The Cherry Street Mission as their favorite charity. Instead of us giving a token to the student, we give a check to their favorite charity. You see how very slender the thread of connection was.

Tracee is getting her Masters Degree in religious studies at Winebrenner Theological Seminary, not to be a pastor, but to work with religious organizations to help them better achieve their work. She had told me that she wanted to meet Dan to find out about how he runs such a successful organization.

So it happened. Dan is a very generous man. He gave us 90 minutes of his time. I had to keep my mind galloping the whole time to keep up with Dan's thought process.

And I have been thinking ever since. Dan told us that all the time he gets asked the question, "Can we end homelessness?" He said that he usually answers no, because we are only attacking the problem "downstream" after it happens, not upstream where the root of the problem begins. He approaches everything in his work using his upstream/downstream module. (And I am simplifying the concept by a gazillion words!)

For example, when he visits other countries, and see projects that work really well, he keeps searching for the reason it is successful -- what happened upstream (previously) to the person who runs the program that helps to make this success?

I thought I was just introducing Tracee to Dan. Little did I know that I would find a little morsel to nibble on and to think about as I go into the new year.

Thanks, Dan. Personal introductions are part of my ongoing education process!

Do you make personal introductions? If so, why?

I Couldn't Have Planned It!

Serendipity just smacks me in the face sometimes. A business acquaintance (and friend) of mine introduced me to a networking friend of hers this week. For various reasons this friend wants to supplement her income.

I'll set the scene for you.

We met at a local Panera. Both were there when I arrived and were sitting at a table that I probably would never have chosen to sit at because it is in a noisy location. My hearing is not the best. As the friend was telling me about herself and what was happening in her work life and personal life, I happened to glance not twenty feet across the restaurant. Sitting at a table was another networking acquaintance. She represents The Traveling Vineyard, a multi-level marketing company that produces wine tastings in the home presentation format.

The new friend happens to be Italian and loves food and wine. Zing!

Before the coffee mugs were empty, the two had been introduced. They made arrangements for the friend to attend a wine presentation tonight to see what it is all about. Just like that.

I can tell you that the most I expected from this meeting was for me to get an idea of what the friend was thinking about and probably to get her resume.

But the stars were lined up just right.

Don't ya' just love that when it happens?

Captured

The other day I was on a three-way conference call where I was introducing two people to each other. At a point late in the call, it seemed as if I wasn't needed anymore. I had done my job of introducing and explaining why the two needed to meet. They were beginning to determine the next steps. I didn't need to listen to them schedule a future phone appointment.

But one person stated clearly, "No, if you could stay that would be better."

Now, I have to admit that I was a little miffed. After all my time is precious.

In thinking about it later, I realized that she was right. I needed to be sure things had ended appropriately before I left the scene. If something had gone amiss, I could have reinforced the reason I brought the two together. I realized that the third party (ME) was similar to an insurance policy. I was there in case I was needed. Thankfully, I was not.

That's the reason why personal introductions are so powerful. They have the insurance behind them.

What's your take on this?

Intuition

I had the weirdest dream early this morning.

I dreamt that my hubby, Steve, and I were in Hawaii????? (Not even a priority on my places to visit.) We were coming back to our car from some tour, and he told me to "quick, get in the car, as an avalanche was coming." Now, it was a sunny day, but seconds after I got to the car he was gunning the engine to outrun the river of snow and ice.

I know that ALL kinds of explanations can be drawn from that.

But here's what I think my mind was doing.

Steve had told me over the weekend how glad he was that he'd hired several interns for the summer and was also in the hiring process for several other positions. One of his guys asked him how he knew to make those hiring decisions when at the time, there really wasn't enough work to warrant it. (avalance of business?)

Could it be 30 years of experience?

I think meeting new people can be as intuitive as the above story. Something either tells me "RUN!" or stay around awhile to get to know this new person.

Probably the same 30 years of experience.


What are you intuitive about?