Ahh… To be carefree. How are you nurturing the inner child in you?

Now, that’s a little different kind of social networking…

Clever though.

One of my favorite questions to ask senior executives early on in our relationships is: How’s Your Bench… Really? Here’s why:

1. It makes them think for a second – not typically something they’re often asked, but certainly something every astute executive is thinking about right about now.  You see, as we emerge from the current economic climate, your post-recession execution strategy will make the fundamental difference between a market leader and a distant market follower.  And without a bench of nimble, execution-focused, employees all the greatest strategies in the world won’t help you gain mind-share, wallet-share, or in the process – market share. Read the rest of this entry »

What is your impression of networking? On- or off-line, to many meeting professionals, it’s an insincere trade of favors or, at best, an elegant way of using people to get what you want. I actually asked this question of a group of engineers and one attendee near the front of the room asked, “You mean, networking with other people?”

Conversely, what’s your impression of relationships? When talking about relationships, most use characteristics such as trust, depth, and vested interest. So, if relationships have been around since the Ice Ages and we all know what they are, why is it that we’re becoming increasingly disconnected? In many ways, we’re losing our ability to touch people!

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By David Nour, and David Ryback, PhD; Co-Authors – ConnectAbility

This article is a series of excerpts from the newly released book: ConnectAbility (McGraw-Hill, 2010)

Key 1 – Share Your Power with Others.

There’s a human trait, which fears the yielding of power.  The delusion is that if an individual were to yield whatever power he or she now has, that person will lose it and all the benefits that accompany it.  The truth is, if the individual is secure enough in his or her power to share it with others who contribute meaningfully, that power is enhanced geometrically (many times over), through the respect others gain by witnessing such inner confidence.

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