Meh: slang for boring, uninterested, indifferent This is what we have been thinking about: Why are conversations so one-sided? It seems worse than ever. Here is the scenario: You meet someone who either you’ve never met before, or don’t know very well. You have a conversation with them and when it’s over you realize they never […]
We should have taken more photos of all the places we have travelled for work. From hosting our Work the Pond! book launch in Washington, DC to speaking on a seasick-inducing stage aboard a Princess Cruise from Vancouver to Los Angeles (we have new respect for ship performers), to presenting at an international women’s conference in […]
We all know the importance of soft skills in work. Employers often place more weight on a person’s social and emotional intelligence than their technical skills. But the definition of soft skills needs some refining. Author Ray Williams in The Importance of “Soft Skills” in Today’s Workplace says “within the academic world, a semantic and definitional debate […]
Who hasn’t walked into a room full of strangers at a business networking event thinking… Here are seven great tips to take the ‘big sweat’ out of walking into a business networking situation solo: 1. Don’t be too invested in the outcome Many of us think that every interaction has to be a slam dunk. It […]
Chances are you are going to be attending a sit-down luncheon (or breakfast or dinner) business networking event in the near future because face-to-face networking is back—big time! We have spent a lot of time at events like these and have seen many missed networking opportunities and some cringeworthy behavior. Post-pandemic why not approach your next […]
An impressive business networking skill is the Glowing Introduction™ but it’s not one that is used all that often. Here’s what usually happens. Jasmine and Natasha go to a networking event together — they are what we call a networking tag team. Jasmine sees Max, a senior colleague of hers. She and Natasha walk over to […]
As business networking experts, we have surveyed our audiences and readers about the top challenges they have when networking in the face-to-face world. And that world is opening up post pandemic! These are actual comments about networking challenges from our audiences, as well as our solutions. Here they are, in order of importance, starting with […]
Is it time to start re-establishing your network? Writer Tobias Stone says that post-pandemic more meetings and business networking will be happening over the sharing of food because “that’s how people bond”. While having lunch (or dinner) with someone is one of best ways to build rapport and network it can be a challenge—how to […]
Our experience after decades of teaching business networking is that the world really has a problem with business cards. Perhaps it’s not business cards per se but the act of giving out business cards. People tell us they feel like they’re foisting their card on the other person. It seems kind of pushy, kind of sales-y, […]