by Laura Lee Winger

Created on: June 17, 2009   Last Updated: June 20, 2009

There is a common perception that the Internet and increased communication technologies have made our world more competitive, and this observation is misconstrued to make us believe that we have to beat our neighbors and peers; we have to improve ourselves and stand out from the crowd to succeed. Quite the contrary, we need to connect with people on a more personal level, now more than ever. We need this large world to be a small world after all. Improved communication technologies have made it easier to do so, and to reconnect with people we might otherwise lost contact with. Getting a larger piece of the pie does not mean taking some of the pie from someone else. Good business practices, and indeed networking, make the pie bigger for all of us, and create win-win situations.

Many people recognize the value of having an inside connection to get into a company, club or group. Having a manager's recommendation helps highlight your resume and dropping names during interviews helps you stand out. But connecting with others should not stop once you're in the door. You will need those people, and new people, in order to succeed. Connecting with people is good for you, good for the camaraderie of your peers, and good for the company. You will benefit from connections made inside and outside of the company, and ultimately, those people will help you succeed.

In his book, Never Eat Alone, Keith Ferrazzi said Human ambitions are like Japanese carp. They grow proportional to the size of their environment. Our achievements grow according to the size of our dreams and the degree to which we are in touch with our mission. To successfully build a network and utilize it, you must first know your goals, and use them as a roadmap. Don't just dream about the destination, think about the journey you will take and how you are going to get there. This will give you topics to discuss with people you meet, and will guide your decisions on who you want to meet with. John Kotter's book, The General Managers, is all about how GM's and CEO's work. They do very little on their own, instead, they set agendas, build networks, and utilize those networks to accomplish their agendas. There is no reason we can't do the same in our personal and professional lives.

Don't keep your goals a secret. Express them openly, brag about them even, let others around you know, whether or not you think they can help you. You'd be surprised how many times they will help you. If nothing else,

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