Networking in the Darndest Places

Networking can happen in the darndest places. It has a purpose. There’s a methodology to it. Networking causes growth. It happened last night in the sauna. You’d think a sauna would shrivel everything in sight.
For a long time, my mantra has been NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK. My readers will tell you that if you ask me, I’ll tell you finding connections, getting ahead, increasing your chances and opportunities, finding the Holy Grail is all about networking.
Now networking isn’t something that only happens at meetings. Networking isn’t some grand phenomenon that occurs during a scheduled lunch. Networking isn’t glad-handing every Joe Schmo in sight. Networking isn’t passing out your business card until everyone you meet and you pass out.

Nope. Networking is about having conversation. It doesn’t have to be deep, consciousness raising conversation. You don’t have to work out the mysteries of life and solve them. But you do need to connect with folks. You do need to gain their trust. And you do need to establish your credibility. It’s also good to show a little bit of a sense of humor where appropriate. But networking is the thing. It can be done anywhere and just about at any time.
Last night, the networking venue was the sauna. We started out as one. The number quickly grew to two, three, then four. What is normally a place not for the faint of heart, we ended up being a crowd of about six or seven with a few commonalities. We all panted lest the heat pull the breath from us. We turned red as lobsters. We began to ooze sweat. And we talked — when we could — about various things. We didn’t need to impress anyone. It was “cool down” time.
The conversation wove its way from an indirect slap (incidentally, I don’t recommend this as a way to introduce yourself), to an explanation, then transportation modes in Los Angeles compared with New York, improvement of transportation systems. Someone in the group was connected with the transportation industry. As they left the room, there were a couple of sentences of promotion. Hmm. A future contact that may have some leads. Overall, it was light conversation.
We didn’t try to trade names. It wouldn’t have made sense to do so. A chance, first-time meeting. A coincidence. This was simply an informal aggregation. We established our commonality — health and fitness aficionados, people who have the ability to pay our way in that environment, people who work hard and play hard. Trading names was not the high point of the millieu but the tone of the conversation (or lack of conversation) was. We went in drained from all the work and workout. We came out refreshed for the exchanges. We all learned a little something about the others in some way and appreciated it. For those who didn’t nearly faint from the heat and kept their eyes open, we might remember some of the faces later on. Maybe not.
Additionally, ground was plowed. We learned a little something about one or two topics. Of the more memorable ones, we can do some follow-up questions — that is, if we remember who said what. There’s time for that. The important issue was establishing an amiable contact. The other important issue was growth, which is what networking is about — growth.
Networking can happen in the darndest places.