Have you ever been to a square dance? I remember being at a square dancing event awhile back. One particular thing the instructor said then stuck in my mind…
Each “square” is made up of four couples. The couple with their backs to the caller (the instructor who calls out the moves), and the couple facing the caller are called “The Heads,” while the other two couples are “The Sides.”
So, when the instruction is given, “Heads, pass through!”, only those four people of the Head Couples are supposed to move, while the “Sides” wait their turn.
Two measures of music later, you might have changed from being a “Head” to a “Side.” Everything went according to your position in the square at the moment of the call. I remember Max, the caller, stressing that idea, explaining that square dancing is position dancing. That description is what stuck in my mind all these years.
Here’s why I’m recalling Max’s words now… I realize that traditional networking is almost exactly like square dancing! At networking events, each of us is trying our best to connect with certain people because of their positions!
Say I sold a product or service that was appropriate for hospital rooms.
I would’ve been particularly interested in meeting you because of your position – either you worked for a hospital or sold a different kind of product or service to hospitals and had an “in” with different hospitals.
I really wasn’t interested in you as a person, nor did I expect you to want to know me as an individual. Our purpose lay in our respective positions!
NetBeing goes several steps beyond networking.
NetBeing has a person-to-person focus, and links creativity, ideas, and resources, not just “leads.”
In a way, NetBeing is more like improvisational modern dancing, where the synergy of each dancer’s vision comes together with the other dancers’ visions to make beautiful movement together.
So, what about success? What about getting the leads we need to get ahead in our careers? And, if no one knows who’s a “Head” and who’s a “Side” at any point in time, won’t we just collide so that nothing gets accomplished?
The a-ma-a-a-zing answer to that questions is – that’s not at all what happens with connecting and NetBeing!
Once we broaden our focus and begin to build connections that transcend position, wonderful rewards start to happen for everyone.
But, before we can enjoy those rewards, we need to break out of those set positions – so we can really DANCE!