Is “Networking” a bad thing?  In several conversations I’ve had recently –  including a few at the St. Louis Collaboratory –  it seems that many believe the very term “networking” has a negative, almost selfish, connotation.  Here in St. Louis, many “networking” events seem to be full of folks interested in meeting new people just to sell to them or sleep with them (or both). 

At many of the events I’ve attended, there are those who have this “Drive-By Networking” down to a science.  You know, the conversations, repeated over and over, that sound like this:

BOB:  Hi, I’m Bob.  What do you do? (I wonder if this person can help me?)

CHARLIE:  I’m Charlie, I sell integrated solutions.  And you? (I wonder if this person can help me?)

BOB:  I sell real estate.  Here’s my card.  May I have yours? (He doesn’t sound like he needs to buy or sell any real estate, and I hate integrated solutions.  I better ask for his card, and go talk to that person over there.  I don’t think I’ve met them yet.)

CHARLIE:  Thanks, I’ll keep you in mind if I need a broker.  See you later. (Damn, another real estate salesman.  I hope I never see him again.  Hey, there’s somebody I don’t know who may need integrated solutions!)

When I started the Idea Market, I described the event as a “new type of networking/brainstorming social club.”  I wanted to host an event where people could meet others that share their passion for creative thought while helping to solve each other’s problems (more on the problem with “problem” later).  But after thinking about it, I’m not sure that’s networking.  At least not the “Networking” most people have grown to love/hate. 

After the last Idea Market, a few people complained to me about being “sold to” by some of the attendees.  One person, under the guise of leading a session on internet marketing, gave a thirty minute pitch about why attendees should hire his company.  To be fair, that’s my fault for not understanding the meaning of “networking” better.  However, it’s one problem that I’m going to remedy. 

At the next Idea Market, there will be no “Networking.”  Instead, I’ll work hard to communicate, right from the get-go, that we are ultimately better collaborators, business leads, and customers when the networking happens by accident, instead of on purpose. 

If you have any suggestions how I can accomplish this, I’m all ears.

What is the one book that you find yourself recommending over and over again? 

Here are the responses from the attendees at last week’s Idea Market:

The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life

The Portable Coach: 28 Sure Fire Strategies For Business And Personal Success

The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success

The Radical Edge: Stoke Your Business, Amp Your Life, and Change the World

Yes Man

Influence: Science and Practice (4th Edition) 

Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time 

Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool’s Guide to Surviving with Grace 

The Servant: A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership

To Kill a Mockingbird

Wishcraft: How to Get What You Really Want

Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit

What is the book you recommend over and over?