Check out this brilliant branding done by Element Outdoor Living, host company of a networking event Jeffrey Scott recently lead. (Photo: Jeffrey Scott)
When was the last time you networked in such a way that you had to reveal deep personal challenges you were facing in your business?
We all like going to industry events: to mix it up, have a drink and make a new friend. That kind of networking is fun, but it does not make a big enough impact.
Productive networking requires the following:
- You have to be able to get vulnerable about the challenges you are facing. Not just in the business, but also on your fears and desires and on your personal perspective of business and life.
- You need to be able to share honest results and accurate comparable metrics that you are achieving, or not achieving.
By doing both and spending enough quality time with your peers, you can uncover underlying issues and make the changes needed to rise to the next level of “thinking and doing.”
If your networking is only comprised of industry mixers and local education, take a pause to determine if you are personally growing as fast as you need to be.
A key to making the most of your time at industry events is to spend time with attendees from sunup to sundown. (Photo: Jeffrey Scott)
Deeper than networking: A case in point
Two weeks ago, I drove to Wilmington N.C., to lead a group of landscape business owners in two days of benchmarking and conversations on how they can improve their business, results and personal enjoyment as an entrepreneur.
Attendees got a chance to see some of the work of Element Outdoor Living, host of a recent networking event. (Photo: Jeffrey Scott)
It involved the fun bonding (including a campfire); it also involved viewing the fine landscape work of the host Element Outdoor Living (including the stunning white house above). We also visited the host’s landscape facility and interviewed their employees as well.
Immersive learning
Networking should be immersive and go from dawn to dusk (see the photo of the sunrise on the beach in Wilmington, N.C.). By making it an all-day affair, your mind will become much more open to learning and changing. And without changing your mind, you are not learning.
Network learning is a four-step process: immerse, explore, adapt, grow!
Good luck, and see you at GIE+Expo/Landscapes in Louisville!
About the Author: Jeffrey Scott
Jeffrey Scott, MBA, author, specializes in growth and profit maximization in the Green Industry. His expertise is rooted in his personal success, growing his own company into a $10 million enterprise. Now, he facilitates the Leader’s Edge peer group for landscape business owners—members achieve a 27 percent profit increase in their first year. To learn more visit www.GetTheLeadersEdge.com.Subscribe to Landscape Management
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to Landscape Management to receive more articles just like it.
