Yea for Tomorrow!

I have to tell you that I am ready to have the work week begin tomorrow, even though it will already be Tuesday. I did work three days last week, but it seems like forever since I've really had my business as usual brain in gear.

Tomorrow it is back to meeting with people -- trying to meet my ten appointments a week goal. Looking at my calendar, I have only three scheduled appointments set for this week. Yikes, I guess I will have to get busy making some calls tomorrow!

On a really exciting note, my friend Michelle Donovan is coming to Toledo from Pittsburgh to deliver a half day session called Armed, Safe and Engaging for Subject Matter Experts. We already have about 23 people signed up for this January 19 session. Michelle is an expert in teaching and presenting methods for adults. So even though we don't start any Certified Networker classes series in January, this will ramp us up for the three class series starting in February.

What are you doing in January to help you be more successful this year?

Joani and Danny

Last night Steve and I attended my friend, Joani Algiere's wedding. It was really fun, because it didn't follow the boring wedding style that seems to permeate today's world. Joani wore a beautiful black coaktail dress. She couldn't pretend to be the young, wide-eyed innocent and wanted to wear what really made her feel comfortable. Joani's mom, Marge Brown, the Mayor of Oregon, Ohio, was co-officiant of the ceremony. When she first addressed the couple, she said, "Joani and Danny..." That brought a laugh from everyone, because Dan is a very good lookin' 70 year old, but I would never address him as Danny.

The best man involved all of us in the toast. He is very funny, and he and Dan were in a team-building business together for years. Dan is Mr. Clean and the best man (I can't remember his name at this point.) is the other side of the odd couple. During the toast, when the B/Man pointed at us, we were all to shout, "However!" He allowed all us of to be participants in this event.

I got to thinking about networking events and how getting people involved makes for a better time for all. I think I do a pretty good job of this, but I can always do better. So for '07, I am making a commitment to have as many people as possible feel like they are an important part of every event we sponsor this year.

Do you have any suggestions as to what I can do to make this occur?

What to Do?

Last week, Steve and I were at a holiday party. During conversation, one of the guests used an ethnic slur. Neither of us knew the guest before the party, and we both let it pass, but the same thing can happen during any networking event. I feel that I should have said something, but couldn't wordsmith the right response that would have allowed the offender to listen as opposed to becoming defensive. I took the cowardly way out. I don't feel so good about that.

What would you have done?

Massage Time

Today I got my monthly massage -- not a bad way to end the week. I reflected on the fact that Karen Shulman has been my massage therapist for the past 12 or 13 years. When I moved to Toledo, from Detroit, I continued getting monthly massages with a new therapist. Unfortunately, she developed breast cancer and had to let her clients move to other therapists. At that point I happened to be serving on a board with Karen, and while we were not yet fast friends, I decided she was the one to get my business.

What I love about Karen is her mind. She is a "drop-out" from the corporate world, and has business sense about her. We spend the whole time chatting which is just as relaxing for me as the physical massage. She also has a great sense of humor and in fact has written a book about her mother, entitled "I Never Meant to be Funny." Some of the stories are just smile funny and others are uproarious gut-busters. She donates some of the proceeds to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in honor of her mom's triumph over the disease. This book is not a story about cancer (well maybe one story hints at it), but a friend has taken her copy to her chemo treatments to read to everyone there to give them a laugh.

Do you know someone that needs a laugh? This book should get the corners of their mouth curving up.

Nixon and Relationships

A tidbit of history that I did not know came to light with the death of former US President, Gerald Ford. Evidently when then President Nixon faced the replacement of Vice President Spiro Agnew, he had four finalist to choose from: John Connally, Nelson Rockefeller, Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford. Nixon choose Ford because he said, "Personal factors enter into such a decision," Mr. Nixon recalled for a Ford biographer in 1991. "I knew all of the final four personally and had great respect for each one of them, but I had known Jerry Ford longer and better than any of the rest."

Wow! My memories of Richard Nixon are of a cold, unfriendly man. I would not tie the word relationship to him at all, but evidently there was a human in side that skin, one who valued people and friendship.

Is there a person you've changed your mind about in regard to how open and friendly they really are?

The Best Line

In the Certified Networker course, one of the CDs we listen to is called Standing in the Middle of a Referral by BNI Director, Alice Ostower. This audio is packed with information of how to develop referrals for networking partners. The best suggestion that Alice makes is very near the end of the recording, when she shares, "When you have someone on the phone, you can say, 'Before I hang up, who can you recommend that does ___________?'"

By using this phrase, you are asking the person at the other end to help you to make better connections and you are letting them know that you consider them the authority in this matter. It also helps you to work on behalf of your networking partners at a higher level. So many times, a business acquaintance will ask for help, but if we can't immediately answer that request, we just let it go. Instead, attach a sticky note with the request written on it to the phone . That way, each person you talk to can receive the question. Before you know it you may have developed a referral for the person you had not been able to help in the past.

Starting January 4th, when my BNI chapter resumes meetings, I am going to use this technique each week, choosing just one person per week to try to develop more referrals.

What commitments are you going to make to your networking acquaintances?

The Mayor Fights Brain Drain

Here in Toledo, OH, the mayor, Carty Finkbeiner, garners a lot of attention by his concern with "brain drain." Young people leave the city when they graduate college. Carty wants that to stop. Carty's style is to be very much a bully so I am sure it just drives him crazy that he can't just tell them what to do, as he does every city employee.

In a post written by Drew, he wrote about shopping styles. Many people buy what they want instead of buying what the recipient wants. How does this tie to Carty? He had a well publicized meeting yesterday with a little over 100 young people in attendance who answered his survey about how to keep them in Toledo. What did he do? He showed them a video about what he's been doing for the city. As I read the article in the paper, I thought to myself, "my god, he's got the surveys. Why didn't he create a new video, instead of using a leftover, that addressed their wants and needs." More entertainment, jobs, etc. But no, he gave what he wanted, not what they wanted.