One of my favorite things to do is to sit down one-on-one with someone for coffee, tea, a beer, or over video chat.
For the past several months, I probably average close to two one-on-one meetings per day. And over the last several years, I probably average around one meeting per day.
Over time, this adds up to quite a few people that I’ve personally created a connection with!
But the power of connection or building a network or community doesn’t simply come from meeting personally with people one-on-one.
The real power comes from being the bridge between two other people. When you meet someone who has similar interests or is working in a similar space to someone else you know, you can be the bridge between those two people.
It sounds obvious, but it’s often ignored. All it takes is an email or text between the two.
When you create a bond between two other people, you are simultaneously doing them a service by introducing a new, potentially strong relationship into their lives, while also strengthening your relationship to those two parties as well.
“Networking” is not a zero sum game. We all benefit from connection.