http://ripples.typepad.com/ripples/2006/06/networking_made.html
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Why bother networking if it doesn't extend your network of friends?
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On this chilly morning as I sit and reflectively blog, I'd pontificate that "networking" is very different than "friendship".
As an injineer that has to have a taxonomy for everything, one has: spouses (high value / low maintenance if you pick right),relatives (thankfully not a greatly expanding number requiring loans, gifts, and high maintenance / low return); in laws (enough said); friends (great joys); acquaintances (casual contact); fellow bloggers (who tell you that your full of soup as needed); coworkers (limited to the lifespan of your corporate life); and service people (usually nice people you meet along the way who do stuff for you). There's a formula for everything. And, we take two parts of this and one part of that to make shazaam.
[Note the careful attention to the engineering rule of thumb five plus or minus two. (1) spouses; (2) relatives; (3) in laws; (4) friends; (5) acquaintances; (6) fellow bloggers; (7); coworkers; (8)service people. Oops! Ok combine relatives and in laws! And it now fits the rule. As I was saying: Note the careful attention to the engineering rule of thumb five plus or minus two. (1) spouses; (2) relatives and in laws; (3) friends; (4) acquaintances; (5) fellow bloggers; (6) coworkers; (7)service people. An injineer can always make the observed data fit the predetermined answer. Why do you think tuition is higher, the math is harder, and the wages better?]
Seriously, maybe networking contacts can become friends and acquaintances. Maybe that is what one needs to do. Convert the business of networking into "making friends and influencing people". I'm not so sure. But I'll take it under advisement. Till then, networking contacts don't fit into my paradigm cause it breaks the rule of five.
Maybe I need some new rules?
[FOOTNOTE: The rule of five says that people don't understand or remember things that are fewer than 3 (insufficient distinctions) and greater than 7 (too many choices). So engineers always try to ensure that stuff conforms to that rule. Next week's lesson: Why bridges don't usually fail or multiplying the right answer by ten just to be safe! That's why you don't have to worry about following a 9.5 ton truck on a one ton bridge … usually!]
Reinke Faces Life 