Why Team Building Exercises Don’t Work

Why Team Building Exercises Don’t Work 

“Team building exercises are meant to be constructive activities, which can actually create a sense of belongingness within the team. They are meant to break the ice between employees and get them to know each other for better camaraderie in the office. But these exercises might get terribly wrong too. Employees of a home security company called Alarm One Inc. were pitted against a rival company’s workers, according to some court documents. The winners poked fun and jeered at the losers, forced baby food down their throats and made them wear diapers. What happened next was a nightmare for Alarm One Inc. It had to cough up more than a million dollars when an employee sued them for gross misconduct.

A lot of team building events take up this approach of pitting coworkers against each other for meaningless contests. Companies want employees to work well in teams, share knowledge and to achieve mutual success. If these events would have panned out like the one above, it would be mainly competitive in nature. Here, the focus still ends up on competition, not cooperation or team-building.

HR managers are usually keen to make

team-building exercises

competitive since competition drives instant passion. It gives a primal urge in most people to win which makes them active and focused too. The organizers of team-building activities usually feel that it is a job well done.

Problems with competitive team building events

1: Competition never creates an overall experience of success

Some win and most lose. Most participants will leave the competition with a sense of not being good enough to compete, which is not what you want your employees to feel.

2: Competition drives people to act manically, aggressively and harmfully

You get employees with the perfect CV, the right qualities and professionalism. But it is during these team building events that many become aware of their primal instincts.

Competition

sometimes brings out the worst from within some people, making them abusive and manic. There are cheats too, which makes other employees hate them other than liking them after the event, as the primary intention was.

3: People learn less after a competition

There is a significant achievement difference when you think about cooperative and competitive environments. Co-operative approach is the way to go since competition only drives people to do what they know, but co-operation makes them learn about humility, sacrifice and team-building. It is like having four brains!

4: Competition lowers performance:

Competition also makes most employees to perform worse than they can because of insecurity or lack of faith and confidence. This is especially true when employees are assigned complex tasks that require co-operation.

5: Waste of time

The average team building exercises take up too much time in finding and rewarding winners than making people do something useful. Most of them result in waste of time and most employees do not like these activities as it prevents them to do real, actual and useful work.

Ideal team building activities

• A deeper understanding about other

co-workers

• Co-workers should like each other more than they do presently
• Experience of good performance and a job done well together
• A feeling of doing good work and that one is capable of doing work better
• An increased desire of co-operation and helping
• To learn something which might be useful for work
• A sense that the event was good utility of time!

Team building exercises should focus on building a team in the truest sense and not break it, intentionally or unintentionally. Only then will these events and exercises carry a meaning. They are meant to be collaborative and not competitive as most companies today envision them to be.”

Article is from Employment Crossing, read more at:  http://www.employmentcrossing.com/employers/article/231728/Why-Dont-Team-Building-Exercises-Work- sually/?utm_source=WENW&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=t_16312--dt_20120703-cid_34106-Did_6301048-ad_EC~Employer

The Jobless rate of Middle-Aged Workers (45-65) is at its highest in 70 years…..

Much of the attention during the prolonged U.S. employment crisis has been on high rates of joblessness among young people. Less noticed, but no less significant to many economists, has been the plight of the middle-aged. More than 3.5 million Americans between the ages of 45 and 64 were unemployed as of May, 39% of them for a year or more—a rate of long-term unemployment that is unprecedented in modern U.S. history, and far higher than among younger workers. Millions more have quit looking for work. This is an enlightening article in the WSJ

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303506404577448751320412974.html

The struggles of the middle-aged unemployed point to a larger economic problem: The labor market can't fully heal until people like Ms. Adams and Messrs. Daniel and Schoolfield can get back to work. The longer it takes, the deeper and more permanent the scars of the recession become—not just for the workers themselves, but for the broader economy.

Middle-aged people struggle to find work for a variety of reasons: They are more reluctant to change industries than their younger counterparts and tend to have greater financial commitments that make it harder to start over with an entry level job. Because they made career choices decades earlier, they are more likely to work in industries in decline.

They are also less able to move to find work, more likely to be tied down by a mortgage or a spouse's job. Experts say employers often give preference to younger workers, who they perceive to be more flexible, technologically savvy and able to "grow with the company."

"They [companies] tend to go for a younger worker, a more recently educated worker, a more recently trained worker," says James Manyika, a director at the McKinsey Global Institute who has researched employment trends. "If you're 50 and you've been out of employment for a while, it's going to be way harder to get back in."

One solution: the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, which pays for retraining laid-off workers in manufacturing and other industries affected by globalization, yet even then, one needs a potential employer willing to hiring someone who has been retrained, yet doesn’t have the industry experience required by main companies.

Although the article didn’t focus on any specific solutions, below are a few tools a middle-aged person can do to increase their chances of finding gainful employment;

1.      If able to obtain re-training – take it. But always keep a part-time job, consulting or even volunteer work while unemployed and re-training. Potential employers look at what you do with your time while unemployed.

2.      If you have some funds stashed away, consider a career management consultant who can not only help you focus your resume, but can help you strategize your job search, and even help “market” you.

3.      Network. Join Industry trade organizations and network with industry pros who may become future employers and co-workers.

4.      Avoid networking groups of “job seekers”. Where groups of unemployed people gather is filled with negativity and detrimental to your success.

5.      Make sure your Linked-In profile is current, professional and detailed with successes.

6.      When responding to job posting, only respond to posting you are truly qualified for and follow submitting instructions.  One out of five people that respond to my postings are rejected simply because they can’t follow instructions.

7.      Follow up once you’ve applied for a position. Persistence is important but stalking is discouraged

"The most important factor in determining whether you will succeed isn't your gender, it's you,"

This is a good article that applies to anyone desiring to succeed in business.....Men or Women.... By JOHN BUSSEY Our recent recounting of how Jack Welch clashed with a group of female executives over how best to advance to the top of corporate America touched a raw nerve in the business world. Readers fired off a barrage of comments. "He's right," one wrote about the former CEO of General Electric GE +0.37% . "RESULTS—that's all that counts, period." Not so, wrote another: "Mr. Welch's notion that his career, or anyone's, is a result of a single androgynous metric—'performance'—is false." The workplace is still an "old boys' network." Words From the Top Read comments from women CEOs of Fortune 500 companies about how they got to where they are, and the myths about advancement they saw along the way. . View Slideshow [SB10001424052702303360504577412632271663446] Bloomberg News Angela Braly, CEO, WellPoint 'The most important factor in determining whether you will succeed isn't your gender, it's you. Take risks.' So I went to the 18 women who are CEOs of Fortune 500 companies—a record number but still just 3.6% of the total—and asked their opinion. What factors, personal or in the workplace, fueled their careers and what myths about the advancement of women did they encounter along the way? Eleven gave their thoughts.

Recruiters look at a résumé for an average 6.25 seconds

Published in Wed. Wall Street Journal:
Bad news for anyone who has spent considerable time polishing a CV: Recruiters look at a résumé for an average 6.25 seconds before deciding if the candidate is a potential fit, according to job-search site TheLadders.
Recruiters primarily look for six key pieces of information in the following order: name, current title and company, previous title and company, start and end date of previous position, start date of current position and education.
For the study, TheLadders asked 30 recruiters to review the résumés of five people, first a version written by the individual and then a version rewritten by a résumé expert. The recruiters also looked at two different versions of the online professional profiles of three people.
The firm used eye-tracking technology—infrared lights that lock onto the pupil, combined with cameras that measure pupil dilation— to trace exactly where recruiters' eyes landed as they reviewed the résumés.
Because so little time is spent on each résumé, recruiters prefer clean and uncluttered formats, said Alex Douzet, operating chief and co-founder of TheLadders. "The résumé should be a very standard design and easy on the eyes for navigating through the sections. In the end, less is more," he said.
The same held true for online professional profiles such as those on LinkedIn and TheLadders. Recruiters looked at these for approximately six seconds per profile.
Mr. Douzet added that the study pertained only to recruiters' first interaction with a résumé or profile. If a candidate makes it into the "potential fit" pile, the résumés receive more attention.
—Lauren Weber

Learning Leadership

In an article written by Karl Moore, Contributor with Richard Pound explains practical ways for young managers to increase their management and leadership skills in an ever competing world.
"By volunteering for projects in nonprofit organizations, experienced executives can hone their supervisory and leadership skills, and aspiring executives can gain the experience and networking opportunities that could lead to plum positions in the company."

This is written with Richard Pound.

"It’s an irony of modern corporate life, but one of the greatest challenges in motivating employees to sustain strong business performance is to make them feel like there’s a larger purpose to their lives than just meeting financial goals and this need is only getting strong with the younger generation, the Postmoderns. Although business success and the raises, bonuses, and perks that come with it are intrinsic motivators, money and corporate extras aren’t everything for most people.
Having corporate programs that encourage employees to work as volunteers for organizations in their community are one way to offer an extra corporate benefit that makes employees feel pride and satisfaction, and makes them happier and more productive workers. Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce.com, promotes what he calls “the 1 per- cent solution”: 1 percent of the company’s equity, 1 percent of its profits, and 1 percent of its employees’ paid work hours are devoted to philanthropy. Software maker SAS, which has for years been among the Top 20 in Fortune’s annual list of the 100 best companies to work for, offers a volunteer initiative that lets employees use flexible schedules to take paid time off for projects in the community, or even work in teams with their managers on a volunteer effort during business hours.
To our minds, though, volunteer work isn’t just an outlet for employees in search of more meaning in their work lives; it provides an excellent way to prepare for a senior executive position. By volunteering for projects in nonprofit organizations, experienced executives can hone their supervisory and leadership skills, and aspiring executives can gain the experience and networking opportunities that could lead to plum positions in the company.
Permission Leadership
The management environment in volunteer organizations is often extremely challenging. Without the compensation and organizational authority to keep their teams productive and working toward shared goals, volunteer managers must be adept leaders and persuaders as they tackle all the same management issues they face in their corporations: setting objectives, developing strategies, raising and allocating funds, motivating and guiding people, and complying with regulatory structures. Because corporate managers volunteering in nonprofits don’t have titles to define their positions, they have to practice what some call “per mission leadership.” That is, they have to earn the trust and respect of the people they are supervising. Also, they need to do all this with what are usually much more limited resources than what they are accustomed to in their ‘real jobs’, which often requires significant creative skills.
Executive awareness of social issues, and of the needs and characteristics of different socioeconomic groups, is also sharpened through volunteer experiences. This is important for corporate managers who must increasingly reconcile the various, and often conflicting, demands of a multitude of stakeholders and special interests, many of which they may not completely understand. Volunteering in nonprofits isn’t just a charitable act; it’s a way for executives to hone their management and leadership skills.
For younger managers, nonprofits offer rare chances to learn intangible leadership skills, such as persuasion and mediation. With recreational, religious, political, or social organizations, a manager also has the opportunity to meet and establish friendships with people from a variety of backgrounds and vocations. For younger managers, a stint in a nonprofit organization provides rare chances to socialize with senior executives and work closely with them to learn intangible leadership skills — such as persuad ing others to follow your vision, mediating between conflicting parties, addressing workers’ concerns and insights, and knowing when to spur a team to action and when to let the team relax. Senior, financially secure executives who donate their time and energy with enthusiasm are role models for younger executives.
Incentives and Support
If helping others and the community is undertaken purely for the opportunity to network, the full and lasting meaning of volunteerism is missed. Some people who approach it with this attitude will surely lose interest. Still, many of those who start out as volunteers merely to add a credit to their CV begin, in time, to grasp the bigger picture. Even with all of the advantages of volunteerism — it’s good for society, companies, and employees — many employees still resist getting involved. Their main objection is that they don’t have the time to volunteer and do their “day jobs.” Or they say volunteering is not appreciated at their companies, and it certainly is not viewed as a way to climb the corporate ladder.
In fact, some employees feel that by volunteering, they are potentially derailing their chances for a promotion because of the time they’ll spend out of the office. Because of these attitudes, there is a growing recognition in both the public and the private sectors that corporations need to be more proactive in promoting employee volunteerism. To do this, companies must freely provide time off for participation in volunteer programs; publicly acknowledge, either with promotions or awards, employees who volunteer the most and do it successfully; and set up mentoring programs in which senior executives work with employees in one-on-one sessions to help them navigate obstacles that arise during volunteerism. Karl’s old firm IBM, has set up a program for high potentials where they go and live for several weeks in another part of the world and do volunteer work in dramatically different societies than their home country, a great idea!
Only when these approaches, and others, are used to demonstrate the corporation’s full approval of and engagement in volunteerism will these companies inspire reluctant employees and give them productive volunteer experiences that are good for them, for the company, and for the community.

This blog was written with Richard Pound. Richard Pound(rpound@stikeman.com) is the Chancellor Emeritus of McGill University and a partner in the law firm Stikeman Elliott. He has volunteered with the Olympic Games for more than 40 years. An earlier version of this was published in 2004 in Strategy & Business, since then the things we talked about have only become more urgent and more relevant to organizations and to their people, particularly their younger employees, the Postmoderns"
Follow Rethinking Leadership on Twitter at @profkjmoore

Brain Hubs creat jobs for middle skilled

AUSTIN, Texas—As the nation grapples with stubbornly high unemployment, Texas's political and high-tech capital shows one way to create good jobs for people who didn't go to college: Attract highly skilled entrepreneurs, and watch the companies they start hire lower-skilled workers.
[MIDJOBSsub] Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

The Texas state Capitol in Austin, a city that in the past decade has added 50,000 'middle-skill' positions that pay roughly $38,000 a year.

Praxis Strategy Group, an economic-development consultancy, estimates Austin added 50,000 "middle-skill" positions in the past decade. These are jobs that require a two-year associate's degree or the equivalent work experience, and pay a median wage of $17.30 an hour, or $38,000 a year. That pace of growth is roughly four times faster than the nation's as a whole, three times that of New York and Portland, Ore., and twice that of Phoenix.

Austin's success in creating middle-class jobs runs against the grain of national trends. As America's shift from manufacturing to the service sector has accelerated, economists have noted a hollowing out of such jobs.

In recent decades, a select number of brain hubs like Austin have attracted a higher percentage of well-educated workers and a lopsided share of new investment and young companies. In 1970, the top 10 most-educated metropolitan areas among the nation's 100 largest had an average of 23% of workers holding a bachelor's degree or higher, compared with 10% in the bottom 10, according to an analysis of Census data by Harvard University economist Edward Glaeser. The 13-percentage-point gap has widened every decade since, and had doubled by 2010.
Where Jobs Can Be Found

See the growth in middle-skill jobs from 2001 in Austin and other regions.


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204753404577066470694261462.html

Majority of American Workers Not Engaged in Their Jobs

Majority of American Workers Not Engaged in Their Jobs

Highly educated and middle-aged employees among the least likely to be engaged

by Nikki Blacksmith and Jim Harter


WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Seventy-one percent of American workers are "not engaged" or "actively disengaged" in their work, meaning they are emotionally disconnected from their workplaces and are less likely to be productive. That leaves nearly one-third of American workers who are "engaged," or involved in and enthusiastic about their work and contributing to their organizations in a positive manner. This trend remained relatively stable throughout 2011.

Highly Educated and Middle-Aged Workers Less Likely to Be Engaged

Americans who have at least some college education are significantly less likely to be engaged in their jobs than are those with a high school diploma or less. Additionally, workers aged 30 to 64 are less likely to be engaged at work than are those who are younger or older. Workers aged 65 and older are the most likely to be engaged in their jobs.

Men are much less likely than women to be engaged at work. There are no significant differences in employee engagement by income level.

Innovation - Every company needs new ideas to stay relevant

A recent article written by Rachel Siverman of the WSJ outlines the need and importance of innovation....

"Not every company is led by a visionary like recently retired Apple Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs. But nearly every company needs to come up with new ideas to stay relevant.
Developing new ideas involves a certain amount of experimentation and failure, as well as prioritizing of the most promising ideas.
Management scholars, who have spent years studying what drives creativity within companies, say there are specific ways firms can generate ideas and execute new products.
"Apple's success doesn't have to be a mystery to us," says Vijay Govindarajan, a professor of global business at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and former chief innovation consultant at General Electric Co. "It can be replicated."
Mr. Jobs is known for being deeply involved in the creation and development of his company's products. But in many highly innovative companies, great ideas come from all levels of an organization, not just from the top, experts say. At most companies, the problem is, employees have little input.
Driving Innovation
Management experts say there are specific ways firms can generate and execute new ideas.
• Solicit input. Great ideas come from all levels of the organization, not just from the top.
• Provide workers time for "unofficial activity," set time to work on creative ideas.
• Executing ideas is often tougher than generating them. Companies need a clear process to prioritize, resource and test ideas quickly and cheaply, so that they can afford to experiment.
Research has found that the average U.S. employee's ideas, big or small, are implemented only once every six years, says Alan G. Robinson, a professor at the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. More innovative companies typically implement far more employee ideas, Dr. Robinson says.
Senior leadership is still important: There need to be forward-thinking leaders who "allow for the culture of ideas to percolate up," says Dr. Robinson. That means providing time, staff, funding and other resources for new ideas to be executed.
Some companies, such as Google Inc., provide workers time for "unofficial activity"—set time to work on creative ideas. Giving employees time for open-ended ideas can be expensive, especially with many companies short-staffed, but it may pay off. "When managers cut to the bone, one of the things they stifle is innovation," says Dr. Robinson." see more at http://professional.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904009304576532842667854706.html?mod=WSJ_topics_obama&mg=reno-secaucus-wsj

EV's will need infrastructure before they succeed.

Infrastructure is coming soon than you may think. Thousands of chargin units are being installed across the county as more companies start up and other move in with their strategy and answers to rolling out networks.

"The U.S. automobile industry of the 20th century flourished based on a gas station infrastructure that at one point numbered in excess of a quarter-million locations. For electric vehicles (EVs) and, to a lesser extent, plug-in hybrid vehicles (PEVs) to succeed, three different networks outside of the automakers’ control are required: communications, charging, and smart/electric grid infrastructures.
The wireless infrastructure is in place for communications with the vehicle. Cars simply can take advantage of the existing cellular companies’ widely distributed cell towers. The Ford Focus, the Nissan Leaf, and the Chevy Volt all have a telematics solution with an embedded modem as well as smart-phone apps. Drivers can link to their vehicles and read the charge status and stop and start the charging cycle whenever they please.
“Once the car has a modem in it, you can have an app on your computer or on your phone or anywhere you are,” says Mark Fitzgerald, associate director of automotive electronics at Strategy Analytics. “As long as the car is connected, you can be connected to the car.”
It seems like embedded modems and smart phones will be an integral part of carmakers’ strategy to give vehicle owners more control and access to critical information about their vehicles. “The idea is that you can’t launch successfully a purely electric vehicle without telematics in it of some sort,” says Fitzgerald.
Still Required Infrastructures......see link to read full article. by Randy Frank
http://electronicdesign.com/article/power/EVs-And-PEVs-Will-Need-Infrastructure-Before-They-Succeed.aspx

for Engineers Who Hate Networking

BY GARY PERMAN

"Hello, I'm Gary Perman. I'm a headhunter; an industry insider in the fields of electric vehicles, alternative energy, and electronics. Technology companies hire me to find their next executive, manager or engineer."

Sometimes it seems like I hit two or three networking events a week. One might think that since I do so much networking, such events would come natural to me. Some might even think I have the "people gift." Not so. There are times I dread going. At times I even search for ways to get out of attending them. So, even a guy who makes his living networking and matching people with people can get the networking jitters.

Personally, I am much more comfortable behind a phone and a computer than meeting new people face-to-face. Perhaps you are more comfortable innovating new products and solving problems? Yet face-to-face networking is essential today. Networking provides opportunity for collaborations, improving relationships, building trust, growing your business, and yes, even future employment. The market has proven time and time again that you never know when you will become unemployed. The more people you know, the sooner you may be able to rebound from a layoff. Nothing can replace face-to-face interaction.

Most engineers I know share a common dislike for networking. However, it is not so much "dislike" as it is fear. Remember high school? Getting up the nerve to ask someone to a dance? Or standing in line during gym class waiting to see who picks you for their team? That is the same kind of fear that many of us carry with us as we approach a networking event. Well this isn't high school; it is real life and your career depends on networking.

I've read the networking books, attended workshops, and asked a lot of people who are good at networking to share their secrets. I have collected traits and practices that have made me better at networking. I still face those initial jitters during the first moments at the registration table, but now they dissipate with the first handshake. I am here to tell you that you don't have to be a master at networking or have a "Type A" personality to succeed. All it takes is a little planning and some strategy, and after all, isn't that what engineers do best anyway?

Have a Plan

When I attend a networking event, I typically plan to meet one to three people I picked out in advance. If they are not there or not available, I have a backup plan. I pick a number of new people I want to meet, usually five to 10. My goal is to ask them two questions and swap cards with them. Once I reach my goal, I am off the hook. I can go home, see a movie or catch the end of the game at the bar. I have set a goal and reached it. Networking events are not a prison sentence — if you don't make them one.

Kathy Condon, author of "It Doesn't Hurt to Ask," has some great advice on networking. She is a consummate networker and lives by what she teaches. One of the best tips I ever learned was from her many years ago: When you first enter a room, step to the side and assess the room and the people in it. Look for the person who is standing alone. That is target number one. Most likely, that person would love to talk with someone. Personally I have met some of my best contacts that way; people who have turned out to be executives and engineering leaders. Some of them are just not very good at schmoozing, but get them one-on-one and they will talk your ear off.

It's Not All about You

Keith Ferrazzi made this important point in his book, "Never Eat Alone." When it comes to networking, it's not about you. When you spend time meeting people, try and see if there is a way that you can help them. Putting this priority first in your mind makes networking easier. Why? You might not be a great networker, but you are a great problem solver. If you can help someone else with an issue, solve a problem, generate an idea, or make a contact, you are working in the sweet spot of your skill set. Not only will you help someone else, but along the way good things will happen to you, too.

Ask Good Questions

Get to know people by asking good questions. Boring questions get boring answers. What do you do? Tell me about your company. How long have you been with company X ? All are examples of typical openers that get typical results. They are boring and the answer usually involves the other person looking over your shoulder in hopes of finding a more interesting person to talk to. Instead, try these questions (it’s okay to write them down and carry them in your pocket):

"What business problem does your company solve?" Follow up with, "How are you doing that?"

"What has been the biggest win for you (or your company) in the last six months?" Follow up with, "What do you think it will be in the next six months?"

"What is the most interesting initiative you have planned at your company this year?" Follow up with, "How will that change your company?"

"Do you know anyone who might be able to help me…?" Ask for names of people who might be able to help you find the person you are looking for, or solve a problem you are dealing with.

"My favorite approach," says Condon, is to "walk up to someone with your hand extended and smile and say, 'So tell me what great thing happened to you recently.' The key here is to really listen to the answer — then you'll be given the information you can use to ask the next question. People love to talk about themselves — get to know the person standing before you on a personal level. Then set up a coffee date and you can talk about your work at that meeting. People hire people, collaborate with people and refer people they know and like."

You want to ask questions that initiate a conversation out of the norm, and these questions will do that. Once they have answered your questions, there is just one more to ask: "Is there some way I can help you?"

I have a good friend who always ends every conversation with, "What can I do for you?" He is seriously asking if I might need a referral, a new contact or a solution to a new problem. At first my response was, "Oh nothing. I'm fine." Until I wised up. Since his business takes him into contact with many companies, I started asking questions like, "Well, yes. Do you know anyone who works at XYZ company?" When I ask, I often receive a positive reply, something I appreciate and remember him for.

It's The Little Things

In networking, business and in life, it is the little things that people remember. After I network with someone I jot down a note on the back of their contact card. It might be something special about them, how I might help them, or what I thought of them. I use that information when I write them a follow-up email the next day. Want to make an even bigger, more positive impression? Send them a handwritten note the next day. It's the little things that make a great impression.

Maybe they gave you a great idea or helped solve an engineering problem you were stuck on. Perhaps they provided a referral to a potential client. Thanking them goes a long way toward creating a long-lasting relationship. I often meet people at networking events who are unemployed. If I can't help them professionally, I can offer to send them a copy of "Doug's List," an extensive list of networking events, groups and job boards in the area. Though it costs me only a few seconds of my time, it might mean a lot to them. Those are the kind of "little things" that people will remember about you.

Exit Gracefully

Recently, I watched a real networking pro work a room. She would introduce herself, ask a question or two, and ask if she could help them. Then she would exchange contact cards with them, put out her hand to shake, and say, "It has been so nice to spend a few minutes getting to know you. I hope you have great success with your new product launch." Then she would smile graciously and just move on. She took the initiative to introduce herself, she controlled the conversation with a few questions, and then she exited gracefully. Not monopolizing a person's time is a real courtesy in a networking situation.

The rhythm that she set was exactly the right tempo to accomplish what a networking event should accomplish. Finding that rhythm can be a challenge for many of us. When we find someone willing to engage in a conversation, we are in our comfort zone. Being comfortable with someone feels safer than making an exit and trying to find another person to talk with, yet by using these methods, you can move from one person to another, meet a variety of people, and plant the seeds for future business relationships.

Strategy for Networking

Plan to come away from your next networking event with these three things:

Contact cards. These cards provide the contact information you need to stay in touch. The notes you made on the backs of the cards will be used when you follow up with an email or a note the following day.

Names of prospective contacts. These contacts may lead to future collaboration or future employment.

Knowledge. Plan to leave an event with more information about your industry, competitors and clients than when you went in.

Checklist for Networking Success

Before the event, rehearse what you are going to say: who you are, what you do, and how you solve people's problems.

Check that you have your contact cards with you. Always. No exceptions, no excuses. If you want to appear unprofessional, show up at a networking event without cards.

Smile. It sounds trite, but people who are nervous often project a message that says, "Stay away." Be conscious of your smile. It is your invitation to others to step up and say, "Hi."

Unplug your phone. Engage with people in the room. If you must have a phone, put it on vibrate and carry it out of sight. If you receive a call, excuse yourself from the conversation and step out of the room before taking it.

Be the first to introduce yourself every time. Put your hand out, smile and follow your plan.

The day after the event, send a quick email to every person you have a card from. Thank them for their time and the opportunity to meet them. This step pays huge dividends.

Don't complain. Just because networking isn't your thing, no one wants to hear about what you don't like. You are there. Do what you came to do with a smile on your face.

Condon says, "Social media networking (e.g. Facebook and LinkedIn) has to be a part of your personal and professional marketing wheel, but face-to-face networking will never be replaced.”

For some people, networking comes naturally, and I envy them. For others like me, we have to work at it. Following the plan outlined above takes almost all of the stress out of networking, and I've even learned to enjoy it. I hope to see you at a networking event soon.