Straight from the Farmers Field: 5 Lessons on Effective Networking

This week we invite Guest Blogger Martha Reavley, Associate Professor of Management at the University of Windsor.

Plant Something

Networking is like farming – it requires that something is planted – an idea – by a single network member or by a group and that members work together to nurture and grow that idea. Share your ideas and listen to others.

Mutuality

Farmers know a great deal about symbiosis as do great leaders. If you hate networking and think it’s phony, change your perspective. What can you offer?  How can you serve? Strong networks are as much about the giving as they are about the receiving.

Get a Growth Mind Set

Farmers have faith that next year’s crop will grow and that the harvest will be better than ever.  They learn from failure.  They don’t quit. Even in bad years, they are optimistic about the coming spring. They have a growth mindset and you need one too. It is in the positive response to failure that one learns and grows.  Great networks provide a safe sounding board and new perspective on life’s events. They can feed a growth mindset and allow you to become hardy, optimistic and confident. 

Get Out More!

Through networking events, you plant seeds and offer the fertile soil for others to plant. Who will harvest and how and what will be harvested is for the future to decide.  That is the fun and excitement of participating in networking events.

Build Your Legacy with the Next Generation

Farmers want to leave a legacy.  They want to pass the farm to the next generation. Our talented youth know things and have experiences and insights that we all need in our networks.  Make talented youth a priority in your networks.  The future of our community depends on this.

Plant something great in your network – be a farmer!

Guest Blogger:
Martha A. Reavley, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Management 

Odette School of Business

University of Windsor