How does your networking garden grow?
A few days ago, I noticed that my crocuses in my garden were beginning to come up. It made me really happy — because it meant that spring is here (even though many days it doesn’t feel like it).
 Planting a garden with my son |
Seeing the spiky leaves poking out of the ground, I remembered the day last fall when my son and I planted our flower garden.
I remember remarking to my neighbor that planting a garden is just like building a business. Or cultivating a networking contact, for that matter. |
You have a vision of what the end result will look like, and accordingly, you pick and place your plants (or select and time your business strategies and tactics, for that matter).
But you don’t get to see that end result for several months.
And when you do, you are sometimes surprised at how it looks.
Sometimes you may be surprised because in the many months of waiting, your original vision changes, or your memory of the vision fades.
And sometimes you’re taken aback by unexpected things that pop up! For instance, I have some mystery bulbs in my garden. And I’m really curious to find out what they are.
What does my garden have to do with your business or your networking habits?
Well, I don’t know about you, but I like to see results quickly. So gardening is my way of practicing patience.
Seeing the sprouts and the buds always give me hope. And the flowers, besides making me happy, remind me of why I planted the garden in the first place.
And those mystery plants — they remind me to be curious about the unexpected turns in business and the unexpected actions of people. (I find that to be far better than getting worked up!)
So, what is your way of practicing patience? How do you remain curious and open to new possibilities?
