The basic concept, described in Fred Alan Wolf’s award-winning book, Taking the Quantum Leap, noted that physicists studying quantum mechanics observed that particles make “jumps” (movement that a particle of matter undergoes in going from one place to another) without apparent effort and without covering all the bases between the starting and ending points. The premise therefore, is that humans can do something very similar in their personal performance once they understand what is possible.
Recently I was watching Kudlow & Company on MSNBC and they tried a similar concept. Just before a station break they announced that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was no longer the most powerful woman in the world any more according to Forbes magazine. They expected me to sit through the break to wait for the answer as to who replaced her. Do you think I waited? With my faithful notebook computer right next to me I had the answer before the first commercial was over. The world’s most powerful woman was now Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, according to the list. By the time the break was over I was no longer watching Kudlow and had found my way to other on-demand news and information from the Internet and could care less about the rest of the program (and I’m a huge Kudlow fan!).
Keep in mind, when someone gives you a lead, that someone is most likely giving your potential customer feed back. So that potential customer will have your name and know when the lead was examples of professional networking given to you.
Get out of the house. Walk around the block or go to the mall each day to see human beings. As most people pick up their newspapers and mail either coming or going to work, make it a point to walk to get it each day. Don’t rely on getting it when you are going out for errands. This is one of the few times you don’t want to group your errands. The idea is to keep software defined networking you moving.
This is my favorite part. There is nothing better than sending a blank excel sheet to a virtual assistant and getting back all the contact information you need on potential clients. Contact person, phone number, email, websites, everything you need. And not only that, they’ll even import it into your contact management software, mailing list, or even submit friend requests to them on Facebook! I love it!
The goal therefore is to become your new profession. Don’t wait until someone hires you before you think of yourself as a computer programmer. Start to think of yourself that way now. Begin gathering the knowledge and experience you will need. Surf websites and chat rooms. Join associations and networking groups. Talk to other programmers. Read books. Practice. And most importantly, build a body of work.
Start today. The best way to create an effective network is to do so before you need it. Networking works best when you are able to do something for others without expectation of anything in return. Then, when your time comes to job hunt, people will fall over themselves to do what they can for you. Would you help a stranger as much as you would help a friend? The same logic applies.
Be careful about taking on a leadership role in a networking group. Disclaimer here: I am the president of a private networking group and it’s a good gig for me because I’m not required to sacrifice my business for the sake of the group. But, many groups require their leaders to work for the organization and not their own businesses. The sale is you’ll receive more notice as a leader. The truth is you lose your focus and start building the group’s business instead of your own. You can become know as a leader by networking with others instead of promoting the business of the group.