Thinking in Transactions

[jakariabd@]

Think of it this way: Would you rather a friend ask, “How can I help you?” or say, “I’ll bring you dinner tonight?” Do you want lasagna or Mexican food? It’s much easier to choose a dinner option from a good friend than to figure out how they can best help you, even if they offer. This concept applies to professional networking, too.

As a leader, you help everyone when you take the time to understand what it is you offer and what is needed. Spend some energy figuring this out, or consider enlisting the help of a career coach.

Transactional thinking gets to the heart of why so many people squirm at the thought of networking. It goes against our common humanity to ask superficial questions of acquaintances. In reality, portugal mobile database networking is not simply a trade between two parties. Networking works effectively when trust is built. And networking is maintained through frequency. That means the other person must be the focus. That means you must support them at every opportunity (especially without prompting).

I think of it as building an emotional trust bank. You want to continue to build trust through actions like sending them an article because of something they mentioned, or introducing them to someone who can help them achieve a goal. Then you’ve earned the right to drop off the emotional trust bank when and if you need anything. So remember to always make deposits. The next time you meet new people, maybe play a game to see if you can find a way to help each person.