When your goals are big, uncertain & scary, leave the worry to one side & move one conversation at a time closer to success. #life
— Simon Terry (@simongterry) September 6, 2016
When we are starting something new, we put pressure on ourselves for that one big action that will make everything right.
“Don’t Just Talk. Do Something”
We look to leap directly to our goal. The current culture of entrepreneurship and business values action over talk. We place greater pressure to do the right things to succeed. However great action is driven by great understanding. Understanding takes conversations and support.
Success is rarely direct. Success is best facilitated by many conversations with your network.
“But, I don’t like to network”
I hear this complaint all the time. The constant self-help refrain of the need for networking puts people off. They see networking as foot in the door introductions demanding assistance from strangers.
There is no doubt that approach can work for the charismatic and persuasive, but for most of us it is a low return strategy. You can hand out hundreds of business cards with a winning pitch but you won’t make as much progress as one deep conversation with a friend.
Don’t network. Converse.
Start a conversation with someone you know well. Just one conversation today will help you move closer to your goal. Instead of ‘networking’ engage your existing networks through one conversation at a time.
Discuss their goals. Explore how you can help them. Don’t ask for help. Focus instead on how you can help. Steps towards your goal and further conversations will materialise as these conversations progress.
As these conversations progress, you will build your confidence to starting the same conversations with people further out in your networks. Powered by understanding and the challenges of others, you will see new paths for conversation and action that are invisible today.
