Sometimes, we get so caught up with work that we become transformed by it. Particularly when it comes to networking, we might get so focused on “What’s in it for me?” that we only notice the people that can do something for us and ignore everyone else.
This bit of humor from The Onion satirizes that tendency quite nicely:
NEW YORKâThe funeral for Bank of America CEO David Kessler, intended as a solemn remembrance of the 73-year-old’s life, quickly developed into a networking dream for executives who attended the service at Beth Israel Synagogue Tuesday.
I’d paste it all here but for copyright reasons, it’s very short. Read the rest at CEO’s Funeral A Networking Dream and ask yourself if you’ve been guilty of a few soulless moments thanks to networking strategy.
I know I have.
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5 responses so far ↓
1 Eric B // Sep 18, 2007 at 3:03 pm
It’s always is a good idea to link over to the Onion!
2 MyStarbucks // Sep 19, 2007 at 11:39 am
I have totally been guilty of this. I am in the social media marketing field and it is so hard not to feel shallow when talking to and building a community. Great Post!
3 Chuck Westbrook // Sep 19, 2007 at 11:50 am
@Eric– I do love The Onion.
@MyStarbucks– Jason Wray (saturatedmarket.net) wrote in his mission statement, “I will be respectful: old or young, rich or poor, strong or weak, influential or influential, everyone deserves respect as a human being, and will return that which they are given.” That’s what inspired me to touch on this topic–glad you liked it. : )
4 Anita Bruzzese // Sep 21, 2007 at 4:47 pm
One of the worst stories I ever heard concerning tacky networking ploys was about was some guy who went to the hospital room of a CEO who had just had knee replacement surgery. Seems the CEO’s wife had ducked out for coffee, abandoning the boss to the fate of the ambitious guy who just wanted a “moment” of the CEO’s time to pitch some proposal. Guess he figured the guy couldn’t exactly get up and walk away. If it had been me, I would have whacked that idiot with my crutches.
Anita Bruzzese
www.45things.com
5 Chuck Westbrook // Sep 25, 2007 at 2:42 pm
@Anita– The ridiculous thing is that there are sales managers that would encourage that exact type of over-the-top technique. Exhibit A as to why I am no longer in sales…
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