Art of Connecting!

Connecting with people is an art. Many people don't realise the importance or the need to stay connected. Being connected is a two way lane, you have the option to ask for help, assistance, guidance, coaching or anything under the sun to the other person and it works vice versa. Imagine that each of us is a computer and we are all part of a huge network. When you are part of a huge network, there is information flow, exchange of ideas, sharing of views and so much more activity than when you are a stand alone machine.

How do you establish connections? To put it simply "just follow up". More often than not it is the attitude of not following up, that causes a connection to fail. We meet a lot of people in our lives, at parties, conferences, in the park, in the elevator and so on. Very soon we get talking with the people with whom we have common interests. It could be that you both like to talk about politics, or you like to play tennis, or you love talking about your kids, or about social service. The list is endless.

The first step to finding a connection is to establish "common ground". Identify people with whom you identify yourself, your interest or your vision. Then the next step would be to communicate and understand the person even better. Remember if you want people to talk, learn to first be a good listener. More often than not, we lose a connection because we don't listen and just want to be heard. Once you have exchanged basic introductions, talk about common interests and find cues to see where you establish a link.

The party is over and so is the meeting in the park, do you just walk away like aliens ....Well, that's what happens most of the times. We are more interested in getting back to our lives and our homes and thinking of all the bills we have to pay and the grocery that we need to buy.

STOP

Remember there is no second chance. Go ahead and exchange your contact details.If you are unsure about the authenticity of the person, give a mail id instead of any other contact information. That way you buy time to see if you want to stay connected with the person or not. The job is now done.

NOT YET

Remember the art of staying connected, involves the magic act of following up. That doesn't mean that you have to throw a party, buy them a gift or keep calling them. It depends on how you want to share your interest with them. Maybe join a tennis club together, or meet up with the kids at the library, or just hang out together to know them better. And it doesn't even mean regularly, every week or every day. Even a Season's greeting card is enough to stay connected. So, it all depends on your style and modus operandi behind the connection.

So, get your eyes and ears open and enjoy building wonderful connections and make life interesting and meaningful. The world is your play ground and it is always lovely when you have connections all over the world.

Stay connected!