In this episode of Making Waves at C-Level, Thom Singer dives into the power of connections and their crucial role in career success. Reflecting on the pandemic, Thom notes the significant disruption to networking and community engagement, which left many professionals isolated. While the world has reopened, enthusiasm for in-person networking hasn’t fully returned to pre-pandemic levels, and membership organizations and business nonprofits have struggled to regain their momentum.

Thom emphasizes that real career opportunities come from meaningful connections, not just from social media interactions like tweets, TikTok videos, or getting likes and shares. While digital engagement has its place, it cannot replace the value of personal relationships. He stresses that those who fail to re-engage in their industry and community may miss out on career advancements, inadvertently allowing these opportunities to go to others.

To maximize networking potential, Thom provides insights for both event planners and attendees. He advises event planners to actively create environments that foster networking:

1. Create Networking Opportunities: Design events to encourage networking during happy hours, breaks, meals, and other activities, making them exciting and conducive to meeting new people.
2. Engage Speakers: Encourage speakers to participate in the event beyond their presentations. Speakers should mingle with attendees, facilitating networking and contributing to a sense of community.
3. Interactive Sessions: Design breakout sessions where speakers ask questions and engage the audience, promoting discussions and connections among attendees.
4. Icebreaker Activities: Implement icebreaker activities to help attendees meet each other, especially at the beginning of the event and during key moments like breakfast.
5. Facilitated Learning Conversations: Set up areas for attendees to discuss what they have learned from keynotes and breakouts, sharing best practices and experiences.
6. Leverage Technology: Use technology before, during, and after the event to enable attendees to comment, share insights, and connect with each other.

For event attendees, Thom offers practical advice on making the most of networking opportunities:

1. Be Open and Approachable: Stand around, smile, and start conversations. Avoid isolating yourself by being engrossed in your phone.
2. Ask Questions: Engage with speakers and fellow attendees by asking questions about their experiences and what they hope to gain from the event. This sparks meaningful conversations.
3. Follow Up: After meeting someone, follow up with them. Adding them on LinkedIn or to your email list is not enough. Schedule one-on-one conversations to build a genuine relationship.

Thom underscores that building connections requires intentional effort and engagement. Meeting someone once does not equate to forming a network. Instead, it’s about cultivating long-term, mutually beneficial relationships. He concludes by calling for a movement towards more deliberate and meaningful connections, highlighting that those who actively facilitate networking and community-building will see significant benefits in their careers.

This episode serves as a reminder of the profound impact that connections can have on professional success and the importance of re-engaging with our communities as we move forward from the disruptions of the pandemic.

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There is often advice given to leaders that they need to "protect their time" and that they should only attend "curated events" as to not have to be bombarded by people wanting advice, etc...

Sometimes people ask if they can "pick your brain" and many people get mad as they see it as someone just wanting "free consulting". But instead of being up off when someone wants your advice... how about reframing their request into a giant compliment. Think about it, if you find someone mediocre (or worse)....do you ask them for advice? We only ask to "pick the brain" of someone we admire.

Plus, if you are a leader, you have to be active in your community. A community can be geographic or an industry... but if you see yourself as a leader, and yet you hide from the people you claim to lead, then you are not really a leader. A true leader cannot lead from behind an office door or while sipping bourbon from their pool. Real leaders are in the arena.

Ask yourself...."when is the last time I really attended an industry or community event where I was not the speaker or it was sponsored by my company?". If you are not sure, then start getting engaged. Either locally or with your industry trade group. Be the one who shows up and is willing to mentor and guide others.

It is probably true that many people were there for you to share advice, be a mentor, or have their "brain picked" when you were up and coming in your career. The time has come to make sure you are returning that favor to the next generation.

This does NOT mean you have to attend everything (you are too busy), but make sure one of your weekly / monthly activities is an open event and show up just to be supportive of the greater community. Leaders must lead by example and people are hungry for community these days!

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Thom Singer is a keynote speaker who shares a message of community, collaboration, and conversations. The more we engage now, the more opportunities come our way in the future.

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In this episode we look at the power of community and how the people you meet are the only way to learn and find new opportunities over you lifetime.

When speaking at a conference of young professionals, Thom Singer offered up the secret weapon to their future of career options. It is networking now, building real connections and friendships, and helping others.

In a world or remote work and digital networking, those who engage will win in the long run.

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After a long time away, the "Making Waves at C-Level" podcast is trying to come back into regular production. Host Thom Singer has been serving as the CEO of the Austin Technology Council, and has been hosting that organizations show "Austin Tech Connect".

But this show has been around for 10 years, and it has had a good following over the years. Thom is ready to come back and share ideas and promote his message of community, collaboration, and conversations.

In this episode he talks about building friendships and business relationships over the age of 50. Check out his short episode and share with him your thoughts.

https://thomsinger.com

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We hear a lot about "Collaboration"...but too often we see selfish people just using the word. Collaboration is a two way street. If you always start with "What's in it for me" you are not a collaborator. If you use collaboration as a buzz word for "Sales", you are not thinking win / win.

In this short episodes Thom shares his beliefs about what is collaboration. To really collaborate you need to have shared vision, open communication, mutual respect, and trust. But people enter collaborative situations and then want full control, they don't share important information, and they withhold resources.

Some believe you have to be all out for yourself if you want to win. Thom Singer thinks in the long run you are more satisfied in life when you embrace collaboration.

Ask yourself if you really see advantages to collaboration. If yes, live by example.

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Authentic leaders win in the long run. If you are pretending to have leadership success... people see through the lies. This episode talks about how to not only highlight your victories, but how great leaders admit their faults.

Thom Singer recently received six emails from people showing how someone told a blatant lie in their bio. They claimed something that was entirely made up, and people in the community knew this was just BS and were forwarding the bio around to others showing how this leader, known to be narcissist, had graduated to just making things up in their resume.

If you are not authentic, people will know. While nobody had the guts to call this person out in public (we still live in a mostly polite society that is resistant to conflict), people were circulating the lies with long chain emails about this person. Not good.

Does your resume have blatant lies? This episode of "Making Waves at C-Level" will make you rethink. Like we have not learned enough from Congressman George Santos who simply created a trail of made up things. Eventually his lies were seen. The person mentioned in this episode who padded their resume (who would hate being compared to Trump or Santos) would cringe at the emails making that connection.

You do not need to lie in your resume unless you are a total fraud who feels you are weak. Strong leaders can rely on their strengths and can admit their mistakes.

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You are at the top of your game. You are a c-level executive. Why in the world would you go to a networking event? The networking events have people who are not as impressive as you, and you only want to hang out with the cool kids. Why should you network?

You need to network for many reasons, and you should not prejudge people whose job titles do not start with a "C".

It is good for your own career and the reputation of you company if you are seen as participating in your community. Over the long run, non-famous CEOs who keep engaged in their community will find more ways to collaborate and uncover opportunities.

Too many are thinking if they go to a Chamber of Commerce event or Industry Conference that they will be annoyed by up and comers who want to talk to them. But many of those same people might inspire you. The best leaders I know want a lot of diversity in their conversations.

Hide in an Ivory Tower and your company may lose. Who is better at reputation management and community engagement..You or your competitors? If its not your team, then your competition might get a leg up.

This episode Thom Singer shares his three reasons to network even when you are in the C-Suite.

https://thomsinger.com

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Community, collaboration, and conversations can solve all problems. But not everyone leads with community. Too many people look at everything they do as having the need to be 10x'd. Yes, these young leaders who are disciples of Grant Cardone or Gary Vee tend to look at everything as their personal investment that must 10x. One young entrepreneur told me he could not join an industry association unless he could see a guarantee to 10x his dues to his bottom line. Ummmm, that is not how supporting a greater cause works.

I am not saying you should do everything for charity. You should focus on making money. But if everything is about how you make money, or if every relationship is about whom you can be friends with who can help you....life becomes phony.

The fakest person I know lives this way. The funny things is their close friends admit they have seen them dump people who are not "up" the food chain, and all know they can be pushed out of the friend circle on her whim. This is a bad way to live. One of her closest friends said "she is unhappy in her soul, but never lets it out to anyone".

I would rather have less money and be part of community.

In this episode I challenge listeners of the podcast to think about if they have one day a week that they do not lead with "What's in it for me?". Imagine if every human took one day to serve the greater good and help others find success. They would have 6 other days to kick ass, but we would have a lot more people helping others, too.

What did you think of this rant of an episode? [email protected]

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There is an epidemic of loneliness in our society. People feel disconnected. Many admit to not having close friends. And these people work on your team.

These issues go back before the pandemic, but it has become more pronounced in the last three years.

When people feel part of a community, they will be more dedicated to their jobs. But with so many remote workers, it is harder to have a meaningful relationship with coworkers.

This episode challenges leaders to look at their team and really understanding who feels disconnected. If you want to up your retention rates, you have to get people to feel engaged with the whole company.

Do you feel alone, or do you know your team has people who are disconnected? Are you doing something about this?

https://thomsinger.com

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In another short episode of "Making Waves at C-Level", Thom Singer shares his thoughts about trying new things and the journey he has been on to reinvent himself since turning 50. It is easy to be in a comfort zone - but that can hold you back. In your career and life you need to branch out and try new things.

Thom is open that throughout his life he did not go for things in life or business that he did not think he would kick ass. But being scared to try new things holds you back. He shares the story of doing Stand Up Comedy at age 52 and how he has now done over 160 open mic nights. While he is NOT that funny (yet?), going out and doing it anyway has helped him succeed in other ways. Pushing yourself into had situations prepares you for other tough hurdles that come up in the journey of life.

Often people get worried about if others are judging them. But if we worry about what other people think, we do not do all the things that we can experience.

What have you always wanted to try that you have never attempted. This episode will challenge you to go do it. You need not succeed, but making the effort will help you grow. And you will also find that other people are not paying attention and judging you as much as you think.

Listen to this episode.

https://thomsinger.com

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Networking (and the benefits of having a real network) is not just about passing out business cards or having LinkedIn connections. The real opportunities come from building friendships. But making friends is harder as we get older. There are many reason why, but if you want to make friends, you have to lead with being a friend.

Entrepreneurs who are known, liked, and trusted always seem to win over the long run. Being a jerk has short term value, but I know one very rich person who everyone hates. So what if he has a nice car and fancy house, being around him it is clear he is insecure and sad.

This episode talks about how and why to make friendships in your career and to encourage your employees to do the same. But you are not friends with everyone you meet. Meeting someone once does NOT make them part of your network.

Change up how you think about people and friendships in business and you will find long-term success. Yes, people really do prefer to do business with those they know, like, and trust.

https://thomsinger.com

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