PARTNERSHIP and NETWORKING
Campbell Lumbila February 19th, 2009
You probably have heard a lot about partnership and networking. These are essential concepts and must be learnt by everyone if big things are to be achieved. As a leader you must have a team that you work with. Note: I did not say a team that works for you. Many leaders think people on teams exist to achieve the leader’s goals. However, for a team to work effectively, all members must own the vision and have a common sense of purpose. Therefore, as a leader you must think of team members as partners in a common cause.
For partnership to work, everyone involved must bring something to the table in terms of talent resource. As a team leader you then become a manager of Other People’s Talent (O.P.T). Never assemble a team of people who will do your bidding without question but rather a group of people that will challenge you, bring the best out of each other and in the end respect you as a leader and their peers.
Effective partnership makes use of people’s strengths and compensates for weaknesses. Realize that bringing a team together is just the beginning. Getting them to work together as partners and maximize their potential is the greatest task a leader can ever pursue but in the end the dividends are awesome.
Networking is a buzz word that many people use without really understanding the gist of the concept. Networking is not about hooking up with people that can help you achieve your goals but rather people that will partner with you. If you want to network you have to promote your self. Self-promotion gets a bad wrap in many circles but there is a way of doing it without coming across as a boastful individual. Effective self-promotion should focus on what you can do for the person you want to partner with and not your achievements or portfolio. How can the other person know that I am able to do the the things I say I can do if I do not point to specific work that I have done? That’s simple. Wait for them to ask the question. Do not be the one to bring up your achievements.
Your self-promotion introduction can be as simple as: Hi, my name is Campbell Lumbila and I am leadership development consultant. My line of work is help people discover and develop their leadership potential in their personal and professional lives. What do you do and how can be of help to you and your business?
At the end of your conversation you can exchange business cards and move on to another person. This simple strategy is especially effective when you are participating in a networking event with a lot of people. You want to make as many contacts as possible but you also want your interaction to be both thoughtful and fruitful.
In your simple introduction, you would have given the other person a synopsis of what your life is all about and at the same time opened a door for possible partnership. That’s how networking works. It’s never about what the other person do for you but rather, what you can do for the other person.
Partnership in teams and in networks is crucial for your success in a global economy. These two concepts can now be implemented across seas thanks to technological advancements.
This week’s Nugget
Make an effort to develop and work in teams through partnerships.