Task 3a: Current Networks

I spent a couple of days thinking, talking, drawing and writing about my Networks. I tried looking at them in various ways to see if it would reveal any interesting points.

First I tried looking at my life in general to see all the places and people in my whole life. Following major events, jobs, places I lived, study, relationships etc and all the people/contacts made during each of these points of my life.

Then writing down all the areas on which I spend the majority of my days.

Then I categorized these into the 7 areas I have previously used to attempt to keep balance in my life. Hobbies, Relationship, Friends & Family, Money, Personal Development, Career, Giving/Contribution.

Finally I used a Balloon map to see where the current flow of my energy into my Networks is going.

Could also do:

Time I have known people

Where I know people from

People in my address book

Frequency of contact with them

Who helps me/ who doesn’t and whom I am helping

How they relate towards my ultimate goal of Financial Freedom

Connections within my Network, who knows who else.

Layers of connections

Network applied to a specific goal

Primarily I ring or meet up with people within my Network or that I want to become within it. I have in the past, but infrequently, emailed, Facebooked, txt and skyped them to. Almost never write letters, and have just signed up to Twitter, Linked In and Blogging so will continue exploring their use in Networking.

I know that many successful Networkers use the same approaches as those I have identified already but through their use of a built up database of contacts they regularly txt, email, Facebook and even cold call people to achieve their objectives in Networking. Not sure how I feel about this blanket approach but I have seen it in action and it does work to an extent. It certainly saves energy but seems a little cold and inpersonal.

I could look to exploit these new technologies and use their easily scaleable power more. I could also use my calls and meetings to more of a Networking benefit and concentrate more on using Networking to find and vet potential Joint Venture partners to take businesses forward and plug my skill inadequacies. I need to become more efficient in my ways of Networking as at the moment I easily become spread to thinly.

Three years ago I decided to go through all of my personal Network of friends and identify which were the ones I would miss most if I no longer had them in my life. I made the decision based on whom I enjoyed spending time with and got the most, both socially and emotionally, from. In addition to this I thought about to whom I enjoyed giving to most. I felt as though I did not have regular enough contact with these most important people in my life. I was spreading my self too thinly trying to be everything to everyone and achieving, at best, mediocrity at it all. I wanted to devote the lion share of my time and energy to those I got the most from, my closest, nearest and dearest. I am much better than before and do have much more regular contact with them. Most months I send them all an updating email entitled The Flipper Chronicle. In which I write my thought and activities, events of that last month or two so everyone keeps up to speed on my life and future wishes. I have recently also started using it to get those most important to me to hold me to account. I will let them know what I intend to do that month towards my goals and then next issue/month I will tell them what I have accomplished, to great ridicule if I have not, without a very good reason, completed what I set out to. I still need to work on the format of how this works but the principle is there.

My personal Network is the most important to me. They keep me balanced and are my true success. I realized recently that no matter how much financial or career success you feel you have, they count for nothing if you have no one to share them with.

My Personal Power Network will lead me forward. It will be a strong close core of loved ones (15 or so people). Then very clearly defined bubbles of ethical people I enjoy working with in each of the 3-4 other areas of my career. The other areas will just be as needed acquaintances but nothing that I spend much time maintaining. This to me seems clear, manageable, easy and fulfilling, with no energy drainers or others who do not have your best interest at heart. Then you can relax, open up fully, and trust all those around you.

To do this I would need to clearly define, and therefore decide on the definite areas of my career. Find suitable joint venture partners and mentors/coaches. Continue nurturing my core relationships. And further making the difficult decisions on who can be in it and who is not.

Moving my Flipper Chronicles onto a Blog that my loved ones can view and comment on could potentially improve upon whilst still achieving what my current method, The Flipper Chronicle, of keeping in touch with everyone.

I don’t know if they would all be into interacting on the Blog. Some may feel it’s a bit cold or too technological for them.

How much do I actually offer to my Networks, how much do I take and how do they view me. I can only imagine that, in my business, to some I offer my expertise to and to others more advanced than me the possibility of a sale. In performing, I would say that I do not offer anything other than my skills to employers but to others…only my social self. My personal Network I support in many ways and in return I get advice, love and fun. I think that I am generally viewed as a unique, alternative, loyal, friendly and personable person. Possibly a little erratic but very focused.

The amount of time and energy I have and where I spend it has come out as very important throughout this exercise.