the new networking: caribbean 2008

http://www.fwconsulting.com The New Networking: Caribbean Professionals 2008 e-book by Francis Wade of 37

Introduction.......................................................................................... 3

MyStory............................................................................................... 6

WhyNetwork?..................................................................................... 8

TheBestVersionofYou......................................................................10

AtLeastOneArea...............................................................................13

PuttingUpResistance.........................................................................15

TheSmalllWorldWeLiveIn...............................................................17

DeepeninganInterestintoExpertise..................................................18

ReachingOut......................................................................................22

UsingtheInternetasaNetworkingTool..............................................24

FindingCaribbeanPeople...................................................................25

BuildingTrust.......................................................................................30

TheFinalResult...................................................................................31

NextSteps...........................................................................................32

FurtherLinks........................................................................................34

Acknowledgements.............................................................................35

Bios.....................................................................................................36

Table of Contents


Formostprofessionals, the topicofnetworkingbrings tomind feelingsofboredom and resistance. Words like stodgy, tired, pretentious and unfulfilling immediatelycomeup.

ThechancesaregoodthatearlyinourcareersasCaribbeanprofessionals,weweretoldbythosearoundusthatwe“shouldbenetworking”.Weattendedour first “networking opportunity” with business cards in pocket, not knowing whatdo,butkeepinginmindthatsayingtherightthingstotherightpersonattherighttimecouldpropelourcareerforwardinleapsandbounds.This,ofcourse,neverhappened.

Introduction A Short Summary for Busy People

Ifyouaregrabbingthise-bookfromthedeskofacolleague,andwantashortsummarybeforegettingbacktoyourBlackberry,heregoes:

1. Define one personal interest and passion2.Deepenituntilyoubecomeanexpert3.Think,andthenwriteaboutituntilyouhavedevelopedsomethinguniquetosay4.Findpeopleintheregionwhosharetheinterestandshareyourideas5.Stayintouchwiththem

Caveat:BeCourageous,anddefytheconventionalwisdomofyourparents,friendsandhigh-schoolprincipal.

That’sit!

Toreceiveyourowncopyofthise-book,[email protected]

http://www.fwconsulting.com The New Networking: Caribbean Professionals 2008 e-book by Francis Wade Page � of 37

Instead,weencounteredbanalconversation,boredexpressionsandmanyofthesamepeoplewehavemetbefore,includingsomethatwejustdon’tlike.Aquieteveningathomestartedtolookquiteappealing.

Thisis,Ithink,theexperienceofmostprofessionalsacrosstheregionwhenitcomestothepracticeofnetworking.Afewhavethatperfectcombinationofcharm,goodlooksandperfectlucktobeabletolandagoldenopportunityoverrumandCokes,buttherestofusseemstuckwonderingwhatwearedoingwrong.

AddintheknowledgethattheCaribbeanSingleMarketandEconomy(CSME)is rapidly approaching, and we know that we should be doing somethingdifferent—butwhatexactly?

With a little work we can probably imagine the perfect end-point: a coolnetwork of fellow professionals that are like us in many ways. They arehiptothelatesttechnologyandideas,funtoworkwith,canteachuslotsofinterestingthingsthatwedon’tknowabouttheirwork,cultureandcountry,andtheyarealsowillingtotreatuswithrespectandfriendship.

WeimaginethattheyMUSTbeoutthere,andthattheymightbelookingtotry to find us also. But how do we go about meeting them, especially when themajorityofthemareresidinginothercountries?Also,ifwedohappentomeetthem,whatdoweDOafterweexchangebusinesscardsoremailaddresses?

Inotherwords,howdoweeffectivelynetworkontheeveofthebigchangesthatarecomingtotheCaribbeanregion?Whatcanwelearnfromprofessionalsinotherpartsoftheworldthathavehadaccesstohigh-speedinternet,freetradelawsandcabletelevisionforyears?Doweneedmakeovers?More

Introduction


expensiveclothes?Golflessons?

This e-book is all about fulfilling your goal of creating a region-wide network, whilehavingfunmeetingothercareer-mindedprofessionals.Standbytobechallengedwithanewwaytonetwork.

Introduction


ImovedtoSouthFloridafromCentralNewJerseyin1996,determinedtoextendmybuddingconsultingbusinesstotheCaribbean.

Luckilyforme,Ihadfriendsandfamilywhowerewillingtohelpmedoso,even before I drove my car some 25 hours to Pembroke Pines, FL fromPiscataway,NewJersey.

Topofthelistismyfriend,GervaseWarner,whoactuallyformedacompanycalledCaribNettohelpCaribbeanprofessionalsabroadtoconnectandtodobusiness.HekepttalkingaboutthelinksthatweallhadasCaribbeanpeople,andIkepttryingtoexplaintohimthatweJamaicanswereaboveallthat“Caribbeantalk”.Jamaicawasabigcountry,Iargued,andthe“smallislands”didn’tinterestusinthewayMiami,NewYork,TorontoandLondondid.

Afterafewyears,Itookuphislong-standinginvitationtovisitTrinidadCarnivalin1996andwhathehadbeensayingallalonghitmebetweentheeyes.Itwastrue—wehadaLOTincommon,anditwasasifweJamaicanswerethelasttoknowit.ThecitylookedasifitcouldbeKingston,justdifferent.Thefood,thepeople,theculture,andthemusic—itallseemedcloseto,butnotquitethesameasthelifethatweknowinJamaica.

That first trip opened my eyes, as did a subsequent visit to Jamaica during whichmy father,BarryWade, insisted that Imeet thepresidentofa localfinancial institution. He engineered the visit by slipping the meeting in, on thewaytotheairport.Duringthatconversation,IwasstruckbythefactthatIwastalkingtosomeonewhowasverymuchlikemeandhadmanyofthesame interests. The company became my firm’s first Caribbean client.

Thesetwoeventstogethermarkedaturningpointforme.

My Story


Overtime,andafterseveraltripstoJamaica,TrinidadandthenBarbados,Iwasabletocreateamanagementconsultingbusinessthatisbasedprimarilyin the Caribbean, with equal business coming from companies based inBarbados,JamaicaandTrinidad.

InthebeginningitwasastruggletostayintouchwithpeopleImet,butwiththeadventofhigh-speedinternetandmanyofthelatesttoolsfornetworking,thejobhasonlybecomeeasierandmoreexciting.

Formoredetailsonmybusinessandpersonalstories,visitmybusinessblog–ChroniclesfromaCaribbeanCubicle(http://fwconsulting.blogspot.com)ormy personal blog–Moving Back to Jamaica (http://francismove.blogspot.com).

Thise-bookpullstogetherwhatIhavelearnedoveradecadeofmaintainingabusinessnetworkacrossaregion that isstillverynewtome. Asyou’llsee,thetaskofdoingsoisonlybecomingeasier—justwithinthepastsixmonthsIdiscoveredatoolthatIthinkwillrevolutionizeregionalnetworking:Facebook.

MyStory

http://fwconsulting.blogspot.com

http://francismove.blogspot.com

http://francismove.blogspot.com


Why Network? On a couple of occasions I have had the opportunity to speak on theimportance of networking in the Caribbean Single Market andEconomy (CSME) environment. Here are a couple of excerpts fromspeechesIhavegivenonthetopictoJamaicanaudiences.

Video from the Project Management Institute Meeting, 2006.Duration:9minutes

Watch this introduction to a speech that covers some of the rationale fornetworkingusingthenewapproachoutlinedinthise-book.

ThespeechstartswiththeresponsetoaquestionIaskedafriendofminewho is a lawyer: “Why did you choose to enter your field?” Watch thevideotohearwhatherresponsewas.

Ifclickingthevideoabovedoesnotwork,clickhere:http://urlcut.com/pmispeech

http://urlcut.com/pmispeech

http://urlcut.com/pmispeech


Audio from the Jamaica Employee Federation’s 2007 Conference

Listen in to this 7 minute excerpt from a 2007 speech I gave on theimportanceofnetworkingintheCSMEenvironment.

Clickheretobetakentotherecording:

Ifclickingtheiconabovedoesnotwork,clickhere:http://urlcut.com/fwCSME

WhyNetwork?

http://urlcut.com/fwCSME

http://urlcut.com/fwCSME


If you have read this far, then the chances are excellent that you wantto network, and also that you want to quickly find out whether or not this approachhasanythingthatisnew,andthatyoucanquicklylearn.Inshort,youmaywanttoknowifthereisanythingyouarenotdoingthatyoushouldbedoing.

Thebestplacetostartiswithyou.

Whilesomeadvocateanapproachtonetworkingthatinvolvesnewclothes,newhairandevenadifferentaccent,inthise-bookIadvocateanorganicapproach.Inotherwords,itshouldfeelsomewhatnatural,evenasyouwillbeinvitedtodosomethingsthatmightfeeluncomfortable.

Thereisnoneedforamakeover—althoughtheremightbeaneedtodiscover,enhanceanddevelopwhatisalreadyyours.

Networking begins with a choice: “Which Version of You, are you interested in using to network?”

ThegameofMonopolystartsinalmostthesameway,withadecisionabouttheplayingpiecethatyouwanttoplaywith.WillitbetheHat,Thimble,Car,Dogorsomethingelse?

Which Version of You will allow you to be confident, calm and poised as youreachouttopeopleacrosstheregion,incountriesthatyouhavenevervisited,fromculturesyouhaveneverencountered?

Here are some Versions of You that are non-options—don’t try these athome!

The Best Version of You


SillySally:Shehasneverreallysettleddowntofocusonanyofherhobbiesseriously.Everythingistakenlightly,includingherowncareer.Shereallyjustwantstohavefun,andnotworryabouttoomuch.Shewilljoininacrowdoffriendsthatisdoinganything,andshedsinterestassoonassomethingnewcomesalong.

PretentiousPeter:Henetworksinordertofeedhisego,andisalwaystryingtolookgoodtoothers,tobewelllikedandbewellthoughtof.Hechoosesthingstodobasedonhowwelltheygethimintotherightcircles.

EverythingEric:Erictriestodoeverythingatonce,andendsupdoingnothingmuchatall.Heistheultimatedabbler,neverspendingenoughtimeinoneplacetodevelopanymastery.Heisalwaystired,andharried,andthingsarealwaysfallingthroughthecracks,creatingemergencies.

ArrogantArnold:Hecomesacrossasaknow-it-all,ashereadsverywidelyand retains a great deal of the content in his fine brain. Unfortunately, he tendstorushinwithwhatheknowsintoeveryconversation,makingsurethateveryoneknowsthatheknows.No-onecangivehimadvice—healreadyknowswhattheyaregoingtosay.

If we were to look deeply enough, we could find elements of all these personalitiesresidingdeepwithineachofus.

Each of them is an obstacle to the kind of quiet confidence that is needed to be a good networker. Where then does that kind of confidence come from?

Experiencetellsmethatpeoplewhoaregoodnetworkershaveatleastoneauthenticareaofinterestthattheyknowvery,verywell.

TheBestVersionofYou


Silly Sally, Pretentious Peter, Everything Eric, and Arrogant Arnold havemadeithardforthemselvestodevelopintogoodnetworkers.Theirpersonalhabitssimplypreventit.

TheBestVersionofYou


The best way to be confident, calm and poised while networking is to be anchoredintheexpertknowledgeofatleastoneareathatyoufeelpassion-atelyabout.

ThebestVersionofYoutonetworkwithisonethatknowsaLOTaboutatleastONEthing.

Iwillshowinthise-bookthatitdoesn’tmatterwhattheonethinghappenstobe.

IfyourinteresthappenstobeCaribbeanpottery,that’sgood.Ifithappensto be the migratory patterns of flying-fish, it doesn’t matter. An interest in Caribbeanstampsandcoinswillservejustaswell.

Theonlypointhereisthattheareaofinterestmustbeauthenticallychosen,andnotimposedbyparents,teachers,friendsortheCXCsubjectspassedatage16.Thisoneareashouldbewhattheycallinthebusinessworldadevelopmental “spike”—oneplacewhereyouareexercisingextraordinarycuriosity,knowledgeandexpertise.

Whyisthisoneareaofinterestsoimportant?

Whentheareaisoneofrealinterest,therewillbeanunmistakeableringofauthenticity,andtruththatisattractivetoothers.

Thinkbacktosomeremarkablepeopleyoucameintocontactwithinpublicsettings,perhapsastheyweregivingaspeech.Often,thefeaturethatmakesthemstandout inourmemory is the fact that theyknewwhat theyweretalkingabout,andwereunashamedtosharetheirloveofwhateversubjecttheywerepassionateabout.Theywereprobablyalsowillingtolearnmore.

At Least One Area

http://www.fwconsulting.com The New Networking: Caribbean Professionals 2008 e-book by Francis Wade Page 1� of 37

Onlypeoplewhoare trulypassionateaboutasubjectarewilling togo togreatlengthstolearnallaboutit.Theeasiesttopicsofallforthemtodevelopexpertise inare theones that theycareabout themost,andarealso theonestheyaremostinterestedinsharingwithothers.Therestofusarejusttoobusywithourlives.

When you commit to finding at least one area of interest, it may take some timetodiscover.Ittakesacertaindegreeofcommitmentandself-esteemtobewillingtopursueaninterestdeeplyenoughforittobecomeapassion.

Itmightnotbecleartoyouthatthepursuitwillpayoffinanytangibleway.Youmighthavethefeelingthatyouarewastingyourtime,andshouldn’tbeindulging“foolishness”.Afterall,anaccountantinMaraval,Trinidad,withaninterestinorchidsprobablythinkstoherselfthatsheshouldbedoingmoreworkonperfectingherunderstandingofthenewtaxlaws,thanwastingtimeon finding the best fertilizer.

AtLeastOneArea


Asprofessionalsdevotetimeandattentiontoanareaofinterest,however,they are bound to attract the criticism of others who judge it as a wasteof time. A fatherseeshisdaughtersewingand insists thatshepickupabookinstead(thebettertobecomealawyer).Abosscondemnsyourinterestinsocialnetworkingsitesas “foolishness”andblocksyourMySpacesite.Afriendseesyourloveofstamp-collectingasanindulgence.

Atthatpointyouhaveachoice.Dolikeeveryoneelseisdoing,givingintotheirresistance,orfollowyourheart?

Unfortunately,professionalswhoareunwillingtostandout,ortobedifferent,makepoornetworkers.Theyappearblandanduninteresting,andhavelittleornothingthatisdifferentfromtheirpeers,andsofailtomakeadentinthememoriesofthosewithwhomtheynetwork.

Theyarequicklyforgotten.

It takescouragetobewilling tobedifferent. It takesguts topursueyourpersonalpathwhen there isnoneof theeasysignposts to tell youwhichway to go. When we were younger, it was much easier, with well defined examinationsatages11,16and18totelluswhichwaytogonext.

This is not to say that you should merely try to be different in some superficial way.

Instead, a deep area of personal interest can make you different, andallowyoutostandout,ifitisearnestlysought.Withthenewareaofinterestcan come life-long passions, interests and commitments that are bythemselves life-changing. Theymayormaynotberelatedtoachoiceofcareer,butiftheyareallowedtoexpand,theycanbeusedasacriticalpart

Putting Up Resistance

Courtesy of www.cashill.com


ofthebestVersionofYouwithwhichtonetwork.

If itsohappensthatyourchosencareerhasbecomeaboreoraburden,then trying to make it the focus of your networking efforts will only be apainfulexercise.

ProfessionalsfollowingtheNewNetworkingethosneedtobesmartaboutwhatkindofadvicetheytakefromotherswhomightbetryingtobe“helpful”.

In theearly1970s,whenBobMarleyconverted toRastafarianism, itwasnot the popular thing to do, and many, including his own mother, tried todissuade him. Adherents faced discrimination, injustice and harassmentfrompolice.Also,Marleywasknownforbeingasticklerforhighstandards,oftenbeingunwillingtoleavethestudiountillate,forcinghisfellowmusiciansto stay in order to get a track just right. Thank goodness he was willingtobedifferent,andrejectedthe“right”directionthatotherswereurginghimtotake.

ThebestVersionofYouistheonethatiscommittedtoatleastonething,and allows the passion for that one thing to shine, regardless of theconsequences.

In the New Networking, the advice is to follow your area of interest,until either expertise is accomplished or the interest is lost. Then, find a new areaandrepeat.Throughthisprocesscomesanaturalandauthenticsenseof confidence and courage.

PuttingUpResistance


The Small World We Live In

AsforthataccountantinMaravalwithanabidinginterestinorchids,thereisgoodnews.

The chances are excellent that she will find that the Orchid Club of Guyana hasseveralaccountantsamong its ranks. Also, itmight turnout that thePresident of the club is also a first-cousin to the Chief Accounting Officer at GuyanaTelephoneandTelegraph.

If an accountant changes fields and decides to be a veterinarian instead, heorshecouldalsodiscoverthattheownerofthebiggestorchidshopinKingston ismarried toavetwhospecializes in largeanimals,andknowseveryone in the field.

HereintheCaribbean,ournetworksaresmall,andwithonly6millionpeopleinCARICOM,it’snothardtoseethatoverlapsandinterconnectionshappenineverydirection.Storiesoffortuitousconnectionsaboundacrosstheregion,andprofessionalswhonetworksaresettingthemselvesupforalifetimeofassistance,camaraderieandfellowship.

If they take the time todevelop trueexpertise, then theymake the jobofnetworkingeveneasier.


Once your area of interest is defined, that’s just the starting point. It must now be refined, questioned, researched and tossed around until something new emerges. This process can be exciting and intriguing, but it shouldnever,everbecomestressful.

Frommyexperience,themostinterestingpeopletonetworkwitharethosewhohavesomethingnewtosayabouta topic that isalreadywell-known.Howdoestheaverageprofessionalbecomethiskindofperson?

Theprimaryrequirementistobringadeepsenseofcuriositytoyourareaof interest. If this isanauthenticareaof interest, then this should comenaturally,andnormally.

Asthecuriositydeepens,anumberofquestionsshouldarise,someofwhichhavebeenansweredbyothers,andsomeofwhichhavenot. Thosethathavenotbeenansweredareworthyoffurtherexploration.

Herearesomewaystojump-starttheprocessoftakinganareaofinterestanddeepeningit.

Caribbean-ize It

Ihavefounditusefultostartwithconceptsalreadyexploredbyothers,andto then ask myself how it fits, or doesn’t fit, into a Caribbean context. Often, theanswersIcomeupwitharequiteunique.

Forexample,theideathatcustomerserviceisimportanttocompanysuccessisalreadywell-establishedintheworldofbusiness.Yet,customerserviceintheCaribbeanregionisatremendousproblemformostcompaniesthat

Deepening an Interest into Expertise

Courtesy of www.wordinfo.info


mustdealwithoverfourhundredyearsofhistoryintheformofworkplaceslavery.

How does a company overcome the servitude of the past to provide thecustomerexperienceofthefuturegivenouruniquecircumstances?It’sasimplequestion,butno-onehasbeguntoansweritwell.

ThisisjustanexampleofhowknowledgeofagenericareaofinterestcanbedeepenedbyapplyingitinaCaribbeancontext.

SCAMPER It

Another technique introduced to me by Caribbean business author andconsultant,AndreBello, is theSCAMPER technique thatcanbe foundathttp://www.brainstorming.co.uk/tutorials/scampertutorial.html,andalsowithasimpleGoogleSearch. It’sabrainstormingmethodthatcanbeappliedtoanytopicinordertodiscovernewaspectsthathavenotbeenrevealed.SCAMPERsimplyrefersto:

S:SubstituteC:CombineA:AdaptM:ModifyorDistortP:PuttoOtherPurposesE:EliminateR:Rearrange

Ifyoutakeanyareaofinterest,andputitthroughtheSCAMPERprocess,it’spossibletocomeupwithsomegemsofinsightthatareinvisibletothe

having a talent vs. having an interestIt might seem to make logical sense to build an interest around something that one is naturally good at doing. The conventional wisdom says that a pianist with a gift for music, should build their area of interest around something to do with music.

In like manner, an accountant should build there area of interest around their field, as should a mathematician, a teacher or a dentist.

In the new networking this is simply not true.

You may have gotten a Government Schol-arship, 10 CXC’s or 5 A’Levels with distinc-tions… but they mean nothing when you have lost an interest in what you once studied. Not too many of us remember how to do quadratic equations, for example.

Instead, you may have an interest in Caribbean street food.

The new networker would focus on their area of interest, and regard the fact that they passed “Higher Maths” with a distinction as a curiosity, but not a shackle or even a guide to what they should do or become in the future.

In other words, the new networking is not about your resume, or your accomplish-ments, but is squarely rooted in your deepest interests, whatever they might be. Knowing the difference between what we are good at, versus what we are interested in is critically important in this approach. There are a many for whom the two are one and the same, but for the rest of us the choice must be clear.

Steve Jobs gave a wonderful speech at

DeepeninganInterestIntoExpertise

http://www.brainstorming.co.uk/tutorials/scampertutorial.html


un-SCAMPEREDeye.

IrecentlyusedthetechniqueofP:PuttoOtherPurposestoseethatwhatthescienceoftimemanagementneededwassomeaspectsofmartialarts,skyscraperconstructionandthedo-it-yourselfethosofHomeDepot.

Write It

Afterthebrainstormingprocessesabovehavebornesomefruit,apowerfulnextstepistotakethemfromtheirbirthplaceinthemind,andtoputtheminto written words. This is, from my experience, where expertise is bestdeveloped.

Anyonecando it,andeveryonehas theopportunity toconvert raw ideasintousefulcontent.Irecommendthatanauthorwriteasifthewholeworldisgoingtoreadtheoutputatsomestage,evenifthisisnottrue.

BenjaminDisraelioncesaid: “Thebestway tobecomeacquaintedwithasubjectistowriteabookaboutit.”

In today’s day and age, the written application might take the form of ane-book,ablogoranezine,insteadofabook,butthedisciplineisthesame.

Becominganexpert,andearning theright tohavesomethingnewtosaydoesnotcomesimply.Itcomesfromcarefullyrehashingandrehearsingthatwhichistobesaidagainandagaininwriting,evenifprivately.

It is the best way to be prepared when the time comes to network, forexample. Having a unique point of view does not come without making

Stanford University’s graduation in 2007 telling his personal story of how he followed his passion in life all the way to Apple Computer, NeXT, Pixar Studios and to other ventures – as a college dropout. Here is the link to the speech he gave from my business blog: http://fwconsulting.blogspot.com/2007/06/steve-jobs-speech-at-stanford.html


http://fwconsulting.blogspot.com/2007/06/steve-jobs-speech-at-stanford.html




someinvestmentoftimeandeffortindevelopingtheideastothepointwheretheymakesense,andaredistinctive.

Fortunately,skillednetworkerswhohavebeenclarifyingtheirareaofinterest,probablyhavealreadydevelopedsomethingtosay.Itisquitepossiblethattheyhavebeenthinkingabouttheareaofinterestforsometime,andalreadyhavetherawmaterialswithwhichtodevelopsomeuniquethinking,andaspecific point of view.

Unfortunately,noneofthiswillworkfor“fake”intereststhataredevelopedinorder to fulfil some ulterior motive. For example, a feigned interest in squash in order to spend some more time with influential squash players who happen to be CEOs will probably fall flat, become a burden and result in poorly played games.ThepeopleIhavemetwhohaveforcedthemselvestolearntoplaygolfbecause“that’swherebusinessisconducted”arepretendingtobewhotheyarenot,inoppositiontothemessageoftheNewNetworking.

On a personal note, I have never been able to maintain the discipline ofkeepingapersonaldiaryforverylong,butonceIstartedblogging,everythingexpanded.Ihavesome200readersfollowingwhatIwriteonadailybasis,andIcantestifythathavinganaudiencehaschangedeverythingaboutmywritinginlessthanthreeyears.

Thisadviceissimple.Openablogandstartwritingimmediately.Ittakes15 minutes and it is free at websites like http://www.blogspot.com andhttp://www.wordpress.com(Irecommendthelatter).


http://www.blogspot.com

http://www.wordpress.com


Now that you have something to network with—an area of interest plussomethingunique tosay—andyouhavestarted towrite it down insomeshapeorfashion,thenextstepistoshareit.

Whoshoulditbesharedwith?

Thereareanumberofgroupsofpeoplethatgoodideascanbesharedwith,andeachpersonshouldfollowastrategyofsharingthatworksforthem.

Thekeyistorememberthefollowing:startwhereveryouwant,butovertime,takeincreasinglycourageousstepstoshareyourknowledgeandinsightwithothersbywritingaboutthem.

Herearesomepossibleavenuesofsharingtheuniqueinformationyouhavedeveloped:

writeahardcoverbookore-bookpublishablog(anonlinediary)andcommentonotherpeoples’blogswritewhitepaperssendletterstotheeditorinlocalnewspaperspublisharticlesinregionalorgansgivespeechesatCaribbeanconferencessendoutanewsletterorezineconductresearchtotestoutyourideaswithsometargetaudiencehaveacolumnsendemailtofriendsandfamilywithyourideas

Whilesomemaysaythattheyarenotcutouttobeanewspapercolumnist,orapubliccommentator,thepointistostartwithwhatyoucando,whichisanother way of saying: “Start anywhere.” As time goes on, you’ll find that the nextstepiseasiertotake,andthejobofsharingwhatyouhavetosaygets

••••••••••

Reaching Out


increasinglyeasyastimegoeson.

I have found it useful to be driven by my own curiosity, to find out what happensnextwhen the ideas Ihavebeenworkingonaresharedwidely.While there is no guarantee that anyone will respond either positively ornegatively,itstillmakesforafungametoplay!

Thereisapointofcautionhere.

If this isallbeingdone topumpupanego,or toservea tendency tobe“Pretentious Peter”, this will become increasingly transparent to thosewhoshareyourareaof interest. Inotherwords, itwillblock theeffort tonetwork.

Thisistruebecausethepointofreachingoutistoshareideasandtolearn,and a natural by-product of taking these actions is to become known assomeone who knows something special, or has a unique perspective toshare.Thisisnaturallyattractivetoothers.

Andneverhasitbeeneasiertoreachlargenumbersofpeoplethanitisatthispointinhumanhistory.Theinternethasmadeitridiculouslyeasy.

an alternative: enjoying othersFor many, however, networking is not about sharing ideas; it is about enjoying the fellow-ship of others. In the New Networking, it is not absolutely necessary to have something profound to say before starting. In fact, one may start empty-handed, trusting that if anything profound gets created, it will happen through the cross-fertilization that takes place in collaboration with other professionals.

Chances are, there are other people across the region who share the same interests. The chances are also good that they are interested in connecting with others of like mind!

For example, if you love bird-watching, then the chances are good that there are others across the region who want to know about bird-watching in your home country. I do triathlons, and sure enough I have found other swimmers, cyclists and runners in every nook and cranny of the region.

The new game becomes “How do I find these people? How can I engage them? How can I move to trusting them?”

ReachingOut


Itusedtobethecasethatnetworkingwasallaboutjoiningwiththerightpeopleattherightplaces,pretendingtoenjoythesamethings.

WhetheritwastenniscourtsoftheLiguaneaClub,thegolfcoursesofSandyLaneor theupscale fetesofDiegoMartin, the ideawas tospend timewithothers of influence, and mimic their behaviour. Slice serves, sliced tee-shots andlemonslicesinarumandCokewerealltherageandHADtobelearnedtogetahead.

Professionalsforcedthemselvestoattendtheseeventsbecausetheythoughtitwastherightthingtodo.

The internet has changed all of that, and levelled the playing field. All of a sudden,aten-yearoldandaseventy-yearoldcanpublishtheirpointofviewwithequalaccesstothemarketplaceofideas.Theirreputation,experience,contacts,degreesandincomehavebecomeirrelevant.Allthatisimportantisthequalityoftheirideas.

Furthermore, it isnotphysicallypossible to travel the15-20territories in theEnglish-speakingregion,duetothelimitationsofairtravel.Theinternetistheperfecttooltosupplementanyphysicaltravelthatonedoes.

Amongthechoiceofinternetconnections,high-speedDSLaccessisalmostanecessity,asitenableslow-costtelephony,multimediacommunication,sharingvolumesofinformation,instantmessaging,plusotherfeaturesthatsavemoneyandtime.

courage

On a side note, it would seem from the outset that networking takes a lot of courage.

This is part of what makes it seem such a formidable task, but the truth is that most people are not born with the courage to immediately network with those who appear to be intimidating.

Instead, this e-book encourages people to break down the mountain of courage into smaller achievable steps.

At one point in my life, I imagined being comfortable speaking to audiences in the hundreds.

Now, almost fifteen years later, I have accom-plished that for myself, but in retrospect I did it by slowly but frequently speaking to groups of increasingly larger size.

Networking using the approach outlined in this book progresses in much the same way—each step requires just a little more courage than the step before. In this way, the fun and benefit derived from the new step taken can be easily greater than the pain that is required to learn a new approach.

For some, there is a significant distrust of the internet, and of being known by the public. There is absolutely no way to network while trying to remain private, so I recommend learning enough about each new step to become comfortable taking it.

Using the Internet as a Networking Tool


Onceprofessionalsrealizethatcultivatinganetworkofotherprofessionals,friendsandassociatesisimportanttotheircareer,heorshehastakenthefirst step to what is likely to become a life-long practice.

Thepracticeofnetworkingisquitesimplemeetpeopleexchangecontactinformationstayincontact

Thekeyideabehindthethreestepsistotakeeachactioninaneasy,organicmanner that feels natural, even though it may feel uncomfortable at first. Luckyforus in2008, therearenewwaysbeing inventedeverydaytodoall threeactivities. Forexample,betweenthemomentwhenIstartedthise-bookandthetimeitended,IhavediscoveredFacebook,whichInowseeasacriticaltoolforregionalprofessionalsandonethatIhadtoincludeinthise-book.

Step 1: Meet People

Once the area of interest has been identified and it has started to be deepened, the next step is to find others who share the interest. The networker does not need to become an expert, and does not even need to have fully defined the areaofinteresttogetstarted.

Theimportantthingtodohereisjusttogetgoing!

Herearesomesuggestionsbasedonusingyourareaofinterest,allofwhichareenhancedwiththeuseoftheinternet,andsearchtoolslikeGoogle:

Find clubs, associations, groups, conferences to join, attend or visit

1.2.3.

•

Finding Caribbean People


regularly(orcreatethem)AskfriendsandfamilywhoelsetheyknowSendemailstoanyonewiththesharedinterestReadthelatestinformationinmagazinesandbooksFindorcreatenewsgroupsontheinternetCorrespondwithauthorsofblogs,books,articles.MakepubliccommentsonlineinblogsCreatealistingonFacebookclearingstatingtheinterestContributetoforumsdiscussingthearea—askquestionsandofferpointsofviewStart online message boards or discussion lists for people you knowto come together to discuss related topics, share information and getconnected

Theimportantthingtofocusonatthispointisgeneratingtheinvolvementofothersaroundtheareaofinterest.Thisisnottryingtogettoknowpeopleforthesakeofit—veryfewprofessionalshavetheskilltocreatesocialandbusiness friendships without a clearly defined purpose.

Theprofessionalwhohasactuallydevelopedsomewrittencontentusuallyfinds this step an easier one to take, as they can use their written material as areasonorexcusetomeetpeopleoflikemind.

Step 2. Exchange Contact Information

While business cards are fast becoming an anachronism, in 2008 theyare still a requirement to share information quickly, particularly with olderprofessionalswhoarenotasnet-savvy.Once“coordinates”areexchanged,thesmartprofessionalplacesthemimmediatelyinsomeformofelectronicdatabasethatcanbemanipulatedinmanydifferentways.

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••

•

Facebook makes the three step process outlined above an easy one to take. Here in the Caribbean, in early 2008, it appears that the service is becoming vital to easy networking among professionals who are computer literate, and interested in networking.

Other services like LinkedIn and Plaxo, allow users to connect with others strictly for business purposes, while MySpace seems to attract mainly entertainers and performers.

Facebook, however, has a mix of business and personal networking that people in Trinidad, Jamaica and other countries are enjoying – it allows for the real Caribbean blend of both business and social connecting that is unique to our region. It’s no wonder it’s being called “Maccobook,” “Fas’book” and “Crackbook” in different countries across the region!

Facebook is a free service that can be joined by visiting http://www.facebook.com. Start by looking for connections to existing friends on the service by using your address book.

Keeping abreast of the latest tools, like Facebook, is critical to serious networking taking Steps 1-3.

FindingCaribbeanPeople

http://www.facebook.com


Otherwaysofexchanging information includegivingout contact informa-tiononlineinvariousforms,e.g.,emailsignatures,socialnetworkingpages,blogs,oranyonlinecommunity.

Onceagain,professionalswhohavegoodcontenttosharehavealeguponothers,astheyhaveatangiblereasontocapturecontactinformationfrompeopletheywanttonetworkwith.Forexample,heorshemightsay“GivemeyouremailaddressandIcansendyouane-bookIwroteonthetopicofnetworking.”

Step 3. Stay in Contact

Thismaybethemostarduousstepofall,andtheonethatrequiresthemostgruntwork.Italsohappenstobethestepwheremostpeoplefail.

Once the first two steps are completed, most professionals stall because theywondertothemselves—whatshouldIdowiththisinformation?

Luckily, professionals who have deepened their area of interest hassomethingtonetworkwith—thecontentthathasbeendevelopedintheareaofinterest.

Inotherwords,astheydevelopnewideasandputtheminwriting,theycanusetheircontentasawaytoshare informationwithpeoplearoundthem,even with those who have no specific interest in the area.

Forexample,intheirChristmascard,theycanmention:“ForaquickpeekintowhatIhavebeenuptolately,visitmyblog,whichIupdatedailywiththelatesthappeningsin__________.”



Inabriefannualnewslettertheycansharethelatestdevelopmentsintheirarea of interest. In a blog they can not only share information, but invitecommentsfromfarandwide,allowingtheexperiencetobefullyinteractive.

Therearetoomanywaystostayintouchtomentionhere,andtheyareonlylimitedbythecreativityoftheprofessional.

Ihavesentouthand-addressedChristmascardstomy500+contactsforthepastfewyears.Thewholeprocessisalabouroflove—fromtheselectionofthecard,towritingthemup,tolickingtheenvelopes,applyingthestampsand shuttling them off to the post office.

Isiteffective?

I have walked into people’s offices only to see a familiar card stuck up on the wall.No-onetakesthetimetosendpersonalhand-writtencardsanymore,andthisperhapsisonereasonwhythesecardsworksowellformeasawayofkeepingintouch.Lateronintheyear,whenIsendanemailaskingforanupdatetopeople’scontactinformation,Igetahealthyresponse.

Whenmanyofuswerechildren,theideaofhavingapenpalfromanothercountrywasanappealingone—someonewhoyoucould learn from,andshare your life with, but would probably never meet. Today, as adults inthe internetage,wehave thechoiceofmeetingupwithpeoplewehavenevermetwithinafewminutes,andgettingtoknowalotaboutthemveryquickly,especiallyinanenvironmentlikeFacebook.Basically,networkingandkeepingintouchisalotlikehavingapenpal,whenitcomestomakingconnectionsacrosstheregion.

Thedifferenceisthatasanadult,youareinapositiontovisittheminperson



onvacationorwhiletravellingforbusiness.Infact,theNewNetworkerlooksforexcusestovisitotherCaribbeanislands,inthehopeofextendinghisorhernetworkinusefulways.



Building Trust Mostofthenetworkingthatoccurs,however,isnotdoneinperson.

To put it bluntly, Caribbean professionals who can only do business withpeopletheyhavemetinpersoncannothopetobeeffectiveformuchlonger.Theymustdeveloptheabilitytotrustanddobusinesswithsomeonetheyhavenevermetinperson.Thisisaskillthatcomesthroughsomepractice,andsometrialanderror,andisoneoftheskillstaughtinourNetCoachingprogramme.

Thetruth is that therearetheunscrupulousfewthatarenot tobetrustedinevery country, and theymust beweededout effectively, butwithgoodnetworkingskills,thegoodcanbeweededoutfromthebad.


The Final Result Some of the final results of taking the steps outlined in this e-book are predictable, and fulfil the initial goal of creating a network. By following these steps,youwillbuildanauthenticnetworkthatisbasedondirectcontactandusefulinformation.Theactionstakenwillfeelorganic,andseemnatural.

Whileprofessionalswhotakethesestepsmaybetheoneinahundred,itis most likely that they will be the ones to benefit profoundly, and build their careeronacross-regionalfoundation.

Ratherthanbeingtheburdenithasbeenseenasinthepast,networkingcanbefun,lightandexcitingasyoudecidetotakeonthemindsetoftheNewNetworker.


Next Steps IfyouareinterestedinlearningmoreaboutourNetCoachingProgrammesforCaribbeanprofessionals,listeninonthetheinvitationtojoinoneofourprogrammesfromDalePilgrimWade,ourHeadCoach.Thecliptakes1.5minutes.

Ifclickingthevideoabovedoesnotwork,clickhere:http://urlcut.com/NetCoaching

Inthesecustomizedprogrammesyouwillreceivestepbystepinstructionsonhowtobeginyourjourneytodevelopyourownpersonal,regionalnetwork.Each programme includes an initial diagnostic that helps you to define your passionsandinterests.Youcontinuebygainingaccesstoauniquesetofmodulesthatcomprisewrittentext,audioandvideo,plustheexpertguidanceofourHeadCoach,DaleWade.Thepracticaltoolsyoulearntouseintheprogrammeareinvaluabletoyourdevelopment,andinclude:

directionstocreateablogpointerstosetupanduseFacebookmulti-mediamethodstodeepenaprofessionalrelationshipwithsomeoneinanothercountry

•••

http://www.urlcut/NetCoaching


plusmore

At theendofourprogrammes,youwillbewellonyourwaytocreatingaregionalnetworkforthe21stcentury.

To hear more about our coaching and learning programmes, click here:http://fwconsulting.com/netcoaching

•

NextSteps

http://fwconsulting.com/netcoaching


Further Links Herearesomeusefulwaysinwhichyoucanstayconnectedtoideas,linksandpeopleacrosstheregion.

Tostayup-to-datewithsomeofthenewestmanagementlatestideasforCaribbeanexecutives,signupforourfreemonthlynewsletter,FirstCuts,thatdelvesdeeplyintoasingletopicofinterest.Sendemailtofirstcuts@aweber.com.

For Caribbean professionals interested in staying on top of the latestideasonmanagement,subscribetoourperiodicOne Page Digest.TheDigestgivesimportantlinksontheinternettothenewestglobalsourcesofinformation.Pastissuescanbefoundathttp://urlcut.com/digesthome.Send email to [email protected] or visit http://discussnow.info/mailman/listinfo/onepagedigest_discussnow.infoinordertosubscribe.

TobeautomaticallyincludedinthemessageboardforreadersoftheNewNetworking e-book, visit http://urlcut.com/newnetmsg and register as auser.

•

•

•

http://discussnow.info/mailman/listinfo/onepagedigest_discussnow.info

http://discussnow.info/mailman/listinfo/onepagedigest_discussnow.info

http://urlcut.com/newnetmsg


ThankstomywifeDalefortheunconditionalsupportshehasgivenmeformyvariedcommitments,projectsandpast-times. Also,asaTrinimarried toaJamaican,andlivinginJamaica,shehashadtoputupwithalotfromus“Yardies”assheestablishedherownnetwork.

Myparents,BarryandMerle,andmysisterRuthhavealwaysstoodbehindmewithacombinationofloveandanexpectationthatIhavefunandexcelatwhateverIdo,bymyownstandards.

Bianca Welds volunteered to edit this e-book, and her expert input wasinvaluable.

TaviaTomlinson,thedesignerofthise-book,spentcountlesshourstendingtothekindsofdetails thatdriveme todistraction.Sheworkedpatientlyanddiligentlyoverseveralmonthswithoutcomplaint. Withouther, thise-bookwouldbe littlemorethana“paper”.

I have been a member of different organizations, groups and clubs that havesupportedmypersonaldevelopmentovertheyears.Specialthankstoagroupofclosefriendsthatwedubbed“TheCommunity”.

Francis

Acknowledgements

©2008byFrancisWade,FrameworkConsultingInc.

CopyrightholderislicensingthisundertheCreativeCommonsLicense,Attribution3.0.http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

e-bookdesignandlayoutbyTaviaTomlinson

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/


Francis Wade is the President of Framework Consulting Inc., a U.S.company with an office in Jamaica and a focus on Caribbean clients. He livesinJamaica,andauthorsseveralblogs,andhaswrittenarticlesforpubli-cationintheregion.HeismarriedtoaTrinidadian.

[email protected]

Bios

Tavia Tomlinson is a recent Media and Communication graduate fromTheUniversityoftheWestIndies(UWI).SheispresentlyaTeachingandResearch Assistant at UWI, Jamaica. She is a qualified teacher and a poet withseveralinternationallypublishedpoems(youcanreadsomeofthemonpoetry.com).

[email protected]


Address:3389SheridanStreet #434Hollywood,FL33021 USA

Tel:954-323-2552 987-880-8653

Fax:509-272-7966

Framework Consulting is a management consulting firm that focuses on unique and difficult people issues in Caribbean companies. The company’s websitecanbefoundatwww.fwconsulting.com.

http://www.fwconsulting.com/

the new networking: caribbean 2008

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