We all know the concept of networking, but if you’ve been a member of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce for a while, you know that we prefer another alternative: “Netweaving,” which encourages members to “weave” contacts into relationships and think, “what I can do for you?” instead of, “What can you do for me?”
It’s sort of like a mix of networking and “The Golden Rule,” as stated by Bob Littell of Atlanta, Ga. who trademarked the term “netweaving” in 2004. Littell, author of “The Heart and Art of NetWeaving: Building Meaningful Relationships One Connection at a Time,” sums up the concept as “a ‘pay it forward’ form of networking based upon the Golden Rule and the belief that, what goes around does come back around.”
Here’s how you do it according to Littell:
- Constantly look for opportunities to “connect people with other people” for their benefit, and to “provide gratuitous resources” to others – and do both with the belief and conviction that “what goes around will come back around.”
- When you meet someone at a meeting or event, try to find a contact you can refer or introduce that person to for their benefit. Host a meeting or introduction for them to meet your contact and suggest that they also try to find contacts for each other and host meetings for them. You become a facilitator and sponsor for their contacts and you can add them to your circle of influence.
Netweaving involves planting seeds that will grow in the future. It takes a little bit more patience, but we have many testimonies from Chamber members who can attest to its power. Littell often says that every act of Netweaving is like throwing a stone into a pool of water, rippling into an ever-expanding chain of events whose consequences may not be known for a long time. It suggests that:
“Good things do happen … when good people make things happen.
Are you ready to put the elements of ‘Netweaving’ into action? You can start by attending our July 15 Sundowner at GreyHawk Business Center on 3146 Tiger Run Ct., Ste. 108. Preregister online and save $5. Join us, meet your fellow Chamber members and remember to “pay it forward.”