The Power of Who

This post originally appeared on my personal blog. The principles in the book are timeless, so I’m republishing it here for my career industry colleagues.

I recently finished reading “The Power of Who: You Already Know Everyone You Need to Know” by headhunter Bob Beaudine, and before I take it back to the library, I thought I’d better write down some of the key concepts. Normally, I’d take notes as I go through it, but I read it while blow-drying my hair over the course of a few days, and it’s hard to write and wield a blow dryer at the same time. (I take notes on most business books I read — not only is it a helpful reference for later, but I remember things better when I write them down, as opposed to just reading them.)

Key thoughts:

• Cultivate your “Who” friends. Beaudine defines these as someone who can “intercept you on the dark path you’ve taken and redirect your steps back on to the path of light.” These are the friends that aren’t afraid to challenge you, or call “B.S.” when you’re doubting yourself.

• He urges you to ask yourself, “What am I doing right now to steer my life in the direction of the future I truly desire?” If you use this as a compass, you’ll always find yourself moving forward.

• The key concept: “You already know everyone you need to know.” Although he explains this well, I still am having a hard time with it. My take on it is: Start with the people you know, before thinking that you need to get to know new people. Beaudine supports this: “Most people start looking outside their ‘Who’ network thinking their success will be found ‘out there’ somewhere." Instead, start with the people you already know.”

• Three simple steps to getting moving on a new project:

1. If you were to refocus your efforts to achieve your goal, what would you do first?
2. Who would you call for assistance?
3. How many people would you call?

• Employ the “100/40 Strategy.” 1-100 = Who; 1-40 = What; Connecting the Dots = Success. The first set of numbers (1-100) is about relationships. The second set (1-40) is about what you’re after. 

Beaudine writes, “There is a reason you and I have been given the friends we have, and it’s this strategic group of friends that is the first part of (the) equation.” We don’t realize that our closest friends are the best resources we have! Instead, we think a stranger is going to be our biggest help in achieving our goal.

• Your “Who” World consists of several different spheres — Fans, Acquaintances, Advocates, Allies, “Who” Friends, and then your Inner Circle (“You get 12 friends. 3 close and 1 best.”)

1. Allies: People you associate with, connect with, or touch through your 12-3-1 and “Who” friends.
2. Advocates: Someone who speaks or writes in support of you or your cause.
3. Acquaintances: All friends start as acquaintances. It's a relationship "less intimate than" a friendship.
4. Fans: An enthusiastic devotee, follower, or admirer. "Fans are the economic wheel that keeps things rolling. Fans fuel demand."

• Most people never get what they want for three simple reasons: 

1. They don’t ask. No one can help if they don’t know what you want. 
2. When they do ask, they ask the wrong people. For some reason, people are uncomfortable asking their “Who” for help. As a result, they’ll ask most anyone except their friends, who are the only ones with a motive to help. 
3. When they do ask for help, they ask you vaguely. Even if I’m motivated to help a friend, I can’t do it when I don't know what he or she wants.

This makes perfect sense. For example, when my clients are networking, they often don’t talk to the people who are best suited to help them succeed. I had a client who worked in the transportation industry and was laid off. After weeks of telling him to make sure that he was talking to his network about his career goal and asking for specific help, he was getting stuck. So I reached out to mynetwork. Within a day, I had an opening at a local company for him to follow up on. When I gave him the information, he said, “Oh. A guy I used to work with works there now.” Well then, dude, why didn’t you already know about this opening? Because he wasn’t using his “100.”

• Four instructions on making a good list to help you chart your future course:

1. Dream It. Allow yourself to drift a little.
2. Believe It. “Have the confidence that what may not be readily apparent in objective reality actually already exists.”
3. Have Confidence In It. “If you don't decide who and what you want to be or are not willing to pay the price to get there, then somebody else will handle those things for you.”
4. Do It. There is a time to stop preparing and just execute!

• Important Traits of Successful People:

1. They start.
2. They are not discouraged by obstacles.
3. They turn mistakes and so-called failures into stunning success. 
4. They maintain self-discipline.
5. They stick to it.

The most important lesson:

Take care of the people on your “100 list” and they will take care of you.

Connect with Your Colleagues ... Even If You're an Introvert

At yesterday's Career Thought Leaders Career Brainstorming Day 2012 session, we talked about assessment tools resume writers and career coaches can use with their clients -- and one of the most-frequently used tools is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). (You can take a free online test to determine your four-letter personality type here.)

If your results indicate that you are an Introvert, you may find it difficult to connect with your colleagues — but this connection can be essential to your success as a resume writer.

You may think that being introverted means that a person is shy. That's not necessarily the case. Introverts do tend to prefer one-on-one conversation over group meetings. They also tend to require a significant amount of quiet time to think and reflect.

Introverts are motivated internally. They are thinkers and can become so locked inside their own head that they appear cut off from others. These tendencies can make it difficult to meet people, make connections, and network. Yet connections can help you build your business.

When you meet the right people you...

• Can build a team of experts to support you to succeed
• Can forge powerful partnerships and increase profits and success
• Leverage relationships 
• Lead people within an organization (for example, a team of subcontractors)
• Build a community of followers, prospects, and customers

In short, relationships are essential for success. Yet introverts can struggle to meet people and forge these powerful and profitable relationships. Here are a few things you can do to meet more people if you're an introvert.

How to Meet People and Build Connections

#1 Set goals

Set a goal to meet one new person each day. This is easily done online — for example, on LinkedIn. (In most communities, you have to make a concerted effort to run into someone who will be a valuable connection for your resume writing business -- for example, another resume writer, a career coach, a therapist, a Realtor®, someone who works in a career services department.) But you can use LinkedIn's  "People You May Know" function to find at least one person to connect with on LinkedIn.

Remember, relationships build a business. The more people you know, the more opportunities you're exposed to.

#2 Build connections

As you begin meeting people, start asking those you connect with on a personal or professional level who they know. You can leverage 5 connections into 25 if each person you meet introduces you to 5 new people. Your network will begin to grow and you'll be meeting people who are like-minded. It's a wonderful way to build a support network.

#3 Set time aside 

Set time aside to recharge and refresh. This is particularly important if you're taking time to get out and meet new people. For example, if you spend an hour networking online, then make sure to schedule an hour of downtime that day too. It's too easy to become overwhelmed and burned out if you spend a lot of time networking and neglect the downtime an introvert requires.

Introverts have a spectacular ability to brainstorm, problem solve, innovate, and build a business. Yet the ability to meet new people and leverage relationships is a challenge. Appeal to your ability to connect with people on a one-on-one basis and start meeting more people in a relaxed and comfortable manner. There's no need to force yourself into a public speaking situation or into a large-scale networking group. Work to your strengths.

Want to Network With Other Work-at-Home Moms?

If you are a resume writer who is also a work-at-home Mom (WAHM), you may find yourself longing for a little in-person human interaction with other folks in the same situation as you.

I was inspired to write today's blog post when I attended the wake for the dad of my one of my childhood best friends this week. My mom and her mom have met weekly in a Rosary group for more than 35 years. The group started because they were all stay-at-home Moms (SAHMs) in the 1970s. As someone who works from home (and has for the past seven years), I can understand the desire to participate in an activity that gets you out of the house on a regular basis.

If you're feeling the same way, you might want to start a group with other moms who work from home. These can be individuals who work in a variety of fields -- product sales, real estate, online marketing ... there are more people than ever who work from their home.

Networking is important for your resume business. The more people you know, the more contacts you have who can help you and you can be a help to. Think of it this way: each person you know knows someone else who also knows someone else. It is how word gets out about your business. Through networking you can form profitable friendships and business partnerships. Even many years down the road, an affiliation that you made could prove useful. 

Want to get together with other moms who work from home? There is a way that you can do it by using Twitter. Learn how to set up your own tweet up group.

This is where social networking comes into play. Through sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter you already know that you can "meet" new people who have the same interests as you do. You can form associations that are as strong as any face-to-face friendship.

But, did you know that you could use them to actually meet the people you only ever see online? That is the idea behind a tweet up. It sounds like something that birds do, but it is meant for people.

What Is a Tweet Up?

The idea behind it all is to meet people who have common interests through Twitter. You can set up a tweet up with a certain goal in mind such as business networking, social networking, or even a brainstorming session.

With the idea of WAHMs in mind, you can network with other moms who are entrepreneurs in your local area. When you set it up, here are a few tips.

You will be the host for the event if you begin the tweet up group. It doesn't have to be a presentation, but you will more than likely be responsible for getting the ball rolling at the beginning. Then, you can let the conversation take its course.

Think up a theme. Decide what you will discuss at the meeting, what the main topic will be. Post an agenda for anyone you invite to look over. You can set one specific item for each meeting to focus on -- and can take turns being the "presenter" for the group.

With children and families, it can be hard for mothers who work from home to get out and network. A tweet up is a way to plan an outing that will be beneficial both on a personal and a business level.

Invite guests. Look around Twitter for prospective people with similar interests that you want to invite. If you don't know them already, follow their tweets and participate in discussions before introducing yourself and sending them an invite.

© freshidea - Fotolia.com

Decide on a place and time. Once you do, start a tweet with a hashtag related to the event (like #parkup for a meeting in the park) so anyone who accepts an invitation can follow the conversation. You can provide information here about what to bring, like business cards or ideas to talk about during the gathering. With moms, there might be an issue of childcare. Choose a meeting place with a play area for children. You can meet at a restaurant, at someone's home, or in a park.

A tweet up group can be a great way to meet your need for human interaction while also providing you with valuable networking contacts and you may even learn some new skills or marketing ideas at the same time!

Helping Clients Use Their Network

A few weeks ago, I wrote about The Power of Who, a book about networking. (It's unique take: You already know everyone you need to know).

It reminded me of a story that I told in the Summer 2009 issue of Resume Writers' Digest, in my "From the Editor" column. I wrote about a friend of mine who was seeking a transportation job. One of the first discussions I had with him was about his network -- and, in particular, their importance in helping lead him to a new job. He had already started networking with some folks in his church, but I reminded him to contact his past co-workers (some of whom had been let go in a previous round of layoffs).

After a few weeks of searching, he was stuck. So I put out a message to some of my connections about what he was looking for. Within a day, I received a call from a mutual friend of ours who worked in a shipping department of a large manufacturer in a town about an hour away. He had a lead for a transportation company that was possibly going to be hiring a new manager, in my client's town. So I called my client and put him in contact with our mutual friend.

This was were it got interesting: My client mentioned that he had a former co-worker that worked at the target company, but that he hadn't talked to him in a few years. I was stunned. Obviously, our discussion about contacting past co-workers had fallen on deaf ears ... because this was the kind of opportunity he should have found out about from his former co-worker.

This should be a reminder to us as resume writers: You can lead a client to his or her network, but you can't make him or her use it!

"The Power of Who" - Inspiration for Job Seekers

I just finished reading "The Power of Who: You Already Know Everyone You Need To Know" by Bob Beaudine, the nation's leading sports recruiter. One story in the book, in particular, caught my attention.

A jobseeker was driving home from an interview in Chicago. It was a job he really wanted, and he had failed the interview. His prospects for employment were bleak, and his self-confidence was shot. He turned on the radio and came across a radio talk show program where the host was interviewing the author of a book titled, "Ultimate Success." The author, Frank Beaudine (Bob’s dad), was asked by the interviewer, "Mr. Beaudine, is there any advice you can offer that might be helpful to the person listening right now who is out of work, exhausted by all the rejections, and starting to lose hope?"

Mr. Beaudine's response: "You might have just bombed your last interview, but don't despair. Something great is just around the corner."

Sometimes, jobseekers come to us at just the right moment. We are exactly the right person they need to help them get through the worst moment of their life (getting fired or laid off, for example). We can transform a client's hopelessness into hope; their frustration into action; their despair into encouragement.

(By the way: Read the book. It has some very useful advice for resume writers and our clients. Check out my other blog post about “The Power of Who.”)

Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters

I haven't had a chance to read the book, but I am enjoying the blog of the author of "Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters." David Perry's blog is a nice mix of ideas and information. I particularly enjoy the bonus tactics he offers.

Read this post about "Your Tribe" as one example. I hadn't thought about networking with commercial real estate brokers before, but he's right -- they're some of the most connected people around.