Networking Insight

Book Review: The Management Gurus by Chris Lauer

The Management Gurus: Lessons from the Best Management Books of All Time was written by Chris Lauer and the editors at Soundview Executive Book Summaries. Since 1978, Soundview has been providing condenses versions of the best business books published each year. With this new book, Soundview is bringing together summaries of 15 management classics, including some never before published summaries.

Here is some of what you will find in the book:

• John C. Maxwell – reveals the 25 principles of Winning with People

• Marshall Goldsmith – proves What Got You  Here Won’t Get You There – and shows how to break the bad habits that are hindering your career

• Noel M. Tichy and Wareen G. Bennis – explore the essence of Judgement – and why it’s more valuable than experience

• Bo Burlingham – explains his concept of Small Giants – companies that have figured out how to be great while intentionally staying small

• Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams – explain Wikinomics and the power of mass collaboration

• Ian I. Mitroff – offers guidance on Managing Crises Before They Happen

• Kenichi Ohmae – discusses The Next Global Stage

In this collection of summaries, you have one resource that provides a wealth of information about management and leadership. Also, by reading this book, it will save you much time because you won’t have to read the entire management books from all of these experts. Think of this book as your Cliff Notes for management.

One summary in particular that stands out for me is Winning with People because John C. Maxwell discusses how building good relationships is crucial for success. You will learn about 1) better ways to prepare for relationships, 2) how to examine ourselves, 3) how to connect with others by focusing on them, 4) how to put ourselves in other people's place, 5) ways to build mutual trust, 6) how to make an investment in other people, 6) better ways to create synergistic, win-win relationships, and 7) how to increase your odds of winning with others.

The Management Gurus: Lessons from the Best Management Books of All Time is worth picking up if you want to learn from some of the best business minds.

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UpMo Study: Tracking the Habits of Elite Networkers

UpMo just released the results of an interesting study about the relationship between success and networking. More than 600 individuals were interviewed. The goal of the study was to learn from professionals, particularly those earning $200,000 or more, in terms of how they build and leverage networks.

Below are a few takeways from the study:

- Fifty-eight percent of respondents believe a person skilled at networking could see a “significant, substantial or dramatic” impact on income

- LinkedIn, by far, won the popularity contest for online networking management tools.

- There’s a correlation between “elite professionals,” those with salaries exceeding $200,000, and the value placed on networking.

- The elite networkers in our study were more likely to perceive a correlation between networking and personal or business income.

Click here to read the full results of the study.

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Survey Opportunity: Bridging the Gap Between Sales and Marketing

My friends over at Macon Raine are conducting a survey to better understand the role of B2B lead generation as the bridge that unites the sales and marketing functions. Click here to take the survey. All survey participants will receive a free copy of the white paper and a summary of the survey results.

Lead generation is a function of networking so this is a very interesting survey.

Thanks for your participation on this study.

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Why Do Teens Continually Divulge Risky Behavior on Social Networks?

It is amazing to me when I read about some of the information and pictures that teens post on social networks such as MySpace and Facebook. Most of them are not thinking about the future impact of what they post.  Prospective employers, colleges, etc. are taking a look at these profiles so you need to be very careful as to what you put online about yourself.

Take a look at the recent article, Teens Divulge Risky Behavior on Social Networking Sites, which provides some great insights into this controversial subject.

According to the article, "More than half of teens who use the social networking site MySpace have posted information about sexual behavior, substance abuse or violence, new research shows. The good news, according to a second study from the same research group, is that a simple intervention -- in this case, an-e-mail from a physician -- made some of the teens change their risky behaviors."

I also believe that teens post this information to fit in and because they are very short-term focused with their lives.

Why do you think teens continuously post this type of information?

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Set Your Networking Goals for 2009

With a new year upon us, this is a good time to evaluate your networking efforts of 2008 and what you would like to make happen for 2009. It is important that you are consistent with what has been working and try new techniques so you can continually evolve.  Below are some of the items that you should evaluate.

Events Attended
Look back on 2008 and figure out how often you attended events. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

- Did I consistently attend events every week or month?
- Did I always attend the same events every month?
- Did I connect with people at every event?
- Did I add new contacts to my network from most events?
- Did I re-connect with people who I already knew at events?

For 2009, focus on frequenting events that you have not attended before. Make it a point to add 1-2 new contacts from each event to your network.

Connecting with Your Network
Look back on 2008 and figure out how you stayed in contact with your existing network. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

- How often did I see people in my network?
- Did I invite people to lunch, coffee, or drinks on a regular basis?
- Did I send thank you notes or other valuable information on a regular basis?
- Did I follow through on what I said that I would do?
- Did I build long lasting and sustainable relationships with some people?

For 2009, focus on connecting with people more regularly. Invite 1-2 people to coffee or lunch every week. Stay in touch with people more frequently by sending personal notes or other information.  Make it a goal to reconnect with more people this year.

Volunteering Your Time
Look back on 2008 and figure out how much volunteer time you devoted to other people. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

- How much time did I devote to mentoring someone else?
- Did I spend time volunteering with a charity?
- Did I go out of my way to help others in times of need?
- Was I approachable to others who needed my expertise?
- Did I meet new people through my volunteer efforts?

For 2009, focus on increasing (or starting) your volunteer time so you can help more people. Working together with other people for the same cause is a great way to get to know people. Chances are that these people will become great assets to your network.

What other networking goals do you have for 2009?

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Best of Networking Insight for 2008

Below is a list of some of my most popular posts for 2008. These were picked based on the amount of activity that they generated with comments from my readers. Thank you all for making 2008 a success!

January
What do Sex Offenders and Social Networking Have in Common?
5 Reasons Why You Should Trust Others

February
What Does Beer and Networking Have in Common?
Self-Confidence is a Must for Business and Personal Success

March
Do You Feel Like This When Attending Networking Events?
What Can You Learn About Relationship Building from SpongeBob SquarePants?

April
Five Situations to Walk Away When Interacting with People
Will You Work for Free to Build Relationships?

May
How Do You Measure Relationship Building Success?
What is the One Word that We All Like to Hear?

June
15 Ways to Leverage Your Appearance for Success
Top Nine Tips for Networking at a Conference

July
Top Three Ways to Build a Loyal Following
The Importance of Building Relationships with Like-Minded People

August
11 Reasons to Be Nice to People
How to Build a Sizable and Quality Network

September
How Do You Follow Up?
10 Rules to Follow When Meeting People at Events

October
The Ultimate Networking Mindset
How Do You Make Good Referrals?

November
5 Common Mistakes People Make at Events
10 Relationship Building Techniques Demonstrated During the Presidential Election

December
Networking Insight Turns Two!
What is Your Ideal Environment for Meeting People?

Related Post: The Best of Networking Insight for 2007

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