You might have noticed that the last post, Serendipity, showed up 6 days after it was theoretically posted.  Yup, damn gremlins are after me still.  On the other hand, maybe the universe is trying to tell me something.  Oddly…or maybe not so oddly…I was in Boston sitting in Anthurium’s World Headquarters with our CEO Tim Simard, VP Operations John Hennessey, and VP Technology & Engineering Doug Bachelor when it arrived on my Blackberry.

I was there because my networking has led to a number of nice opportunities for us and I wanted to be absolutely sure I was up to date on everything before I promised something we couldn’t delivery.  You all remember Rule 6: do what you say.  It is right before Rule 7: don’t say it if you can’t do it.

My Boston trip capped off quite the networking week. I started off on Monday meeting a regional vice president of a big bank to discuss bringing EOS to some of his business clients needing to get their companies tuned up for greater success.  He once heard me speak at his bank and we’ve stayed in touch ever since.  (Rule 23)

Tuesday I had breakfast with someone I know but hadn’t seen in a year or more.  We reconnected because I happened to see her name somewhere so reached out with a card…a real paper one…with a funny message.  She sent back a note…email…saying she enjoyed getting my humorous note and we should get together.  So we did.  And it led to her referring me to several people including one who hopefully will be interested in a mobile money project I’m working on it Nigeria.  (Rule 17: tell them what you’re doing)

Wednesday off to New York City to meet Stewart Abelow, a fellow I’ve talked to several times on the telephone and who has expressed great interest in EOS for his clients.  (He’s a big commercial insurance guy with a business called Preferred NY Financial Group…but no website!) We met and it turned out he had his partner there.  One thing led to another…which happens if you show up with good ideas and great enthusiasm (Rule 43)…and they connected me to the next step in the chain to a new client.  And they have more opportunities.

Then off to lunch with Edwin Abaka about a project in Ghana.  We had a three hour lunch while discussing this amazing world class intermediate and secondary boarding school they are preparing to build in Ghana.  Yup, a nice Wharton Global Consulting Practicum project came out of our discussion.

Then Thursday off to Boston to Anthurium.  (If you’re lost, read first paragraph above) I ended my day in Boston meeting with Peter Morrissey, he of Morrisey & Company.  I love his card. Under the name of his company it just says “Reputation · Communication”.  And he has a nice website…well, duh.  And he is one very interesting fellow.  Turns out, we have some mutual interests and connections.  Who knows where this will go.

It was exhausting.  Especially since somewhere in there I actually spent an entire day beginning installing EOS in a new client, and did some other client things.  So Friday I just stayed home.  Now, before you yell at me for goofing off,  I actually spent the day following up on my meetings (Rule 3)…leading to a new Anthurium prospect, worked on my new book…Book Dominatrix is warming up her whip arm in case I fall behind our schedule, and spent some time on my Wharton and National University of Singapore student issues.

And here it is 6AM Saturday and I’m writing to you!  And I am determined to keep my committment to my Book Dominatrix and meet her demand that I deliver some more words by first thing Monday morning. (Rule 1: keep anyone with Dominatrix in her title happy)

Serendipidous Serendipity Tip: It happens more often it you turn the soil.

It never fails to amaze me how much about successful networking is just remembering to mention things of interest to the people you know.  Having said that, I’m going to be a bit more circumspect than my normal lay it all out self as I share this story.  Sometimes you do have to remember that there are things that should stay private.

As some of you know, I am Chair of the BOA of Anthurium Solutions…which continues to move forward as we develop fantastic platforms for Unlocking Idle IQ.  A few days ago I’m having one of my regular calls with Tim Simard, our most excellent CEO, and happen to mention that I am meeting with a global healthcare executive of a major multinational about some possible projects in Africa for the Wharton Global Consulting Practicum.

We chat a bit about how Anthurium can do a few things that might interest Multinational.  How cool is this?  I agree to add talking about Anthurium to my upcoming meeting.

The very next day Tim sends me a note that he was talking with an organization where we expect (hope?) to get a trial started in the next few weeks and they mentioned…the very same Multinational.  Not only that, they mentioned projects in Africa…and the name of a fellow they know and work with at Multinational.

I’m not exactly sure yet, but from what I googled it looks like Their Multinational Guy reports to…My Multinational Guy.  I just love this.

And how did I meet My Multinational Guy?  I went off months ago and gave a talk at a Global Conference and so did My Multinational Guy.  He and I got talking and next thing you know…we connected. 

Serendipity Tip: It happens everywhere…if you speak up

And on a totally seperate note, I received these two pictures from a friend the day before Groundhog Day:

The note said that he had noticed a family resemblance and so wondered if I would be out looking for my shadow too.  The bizarre thing is that the longer I looked at these pictures the more I decided he was right.  Perhaps I’ve found the answer to why I like living in the woods and have this lack of a date problem.  Hmmmm…

Every single morning I get Innovation Daily, a digest of the fifteen most important stories on innovation from around the world.  It comes from Innovation America which my friend Rich Bendis founded and runs.  Since it is way too much to read, especially for someone not focused on innovation, Rich cleverly gives you the first paragraph or two and then a link to the rest.

Every week I discover 3 or 4 articles that catch my attention enough for me to want to read the entire thing.  Recently there was an article that was a compilation of quotes about time.  Since I always have people telling that they just don’t have enough time to get out there and connect with people, I thought I’d see what pearls of wisdom others have about this, so read the whole article.

My advice is always that networking is as important as anything else you do so decide to take the time…and you will.  Or as I also like to say, it’s not how much time you have but how you use it.

Here are a few thoughts on the subject from some well known people, starting with my favorite.

Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time’ is to say ‘I don’t want to.’ Lao Tzu.

What may be done at any time will be done at no time.  Scottish Proverb

In truth, people can generally make time for what they choose to do; it is not really the time but the will that is lacking.  Sir John Lubbock

The bad news is time flies. The good new is you’re the pilot.  Michael Altshule

The time for action is now. It’s never too late to do something.  Carl Sandburg

And with all that good advice about getting on with it…I’m off to meet some new people. 

Time Tip: It’s not how much there is, it’s how you use it.

One last thought about St Barth.  I was walking along the Gustavia dock and thought my ship had come in.  Finally, a date.

And just in case you can’t read the name on the side of this little boat…

Unfortunately they pulled up the gangway when they saw me coming.

Well…perhaps “unmarked” is a better word than “hidden”.  Sitting here in Birchrunville with 18 inches of new snow has caused me to pine for St Barth and for some reason, speed bumps is what I thought of. 

Since I walked everywhere, I was particularly close to the road and got fascinated by the huge speed bumps scattered here and there.  Since all the cars are so tiny…and quite a few of them are scooters…these speed bumps loomed even larger than they might elsewhere.  But what really fascinated me is that there are no signs warning you about them as there seem to be before every speed bump in the US.

If you’re going too fast and not paying attention…kapow!

Locals know where each and every one is.  Those of us just dropping in to visit are the ones who get our insides scrambled and our heads whacked by the roof.  Must be a metaphor in there somewhere…which I leave you to discover.

This leads me to show you my favorite car on St Barth.  There are bunches of these things driving around:

Here’s the truck version:

And as near as I can tell, there is not one single speed limit sign on the entire island.  They take care of speed limits by those aforementioned speed bumps…and by teeny tiny winding roads barely wide enough for a car and a half.  Think about this, the restrictions are built in so signage is unnecessary.  The message is part of the thing itself.

My last post mentioned how I almost wound up drawn and quartered for the temerity to think that airport security works so it shouldn’t matter if someone switched seats once inside the aluminum tube.  This story about meeting the founder of Pagus: Africa which is working to educate the children of Ghana led to an interesting call yesterday from Edwin Abaka of Elmina Holdings (which doesn’t seem to have a website yet…so no link.  Hmmm. )

It seems that Edwin is a very clever fellow…in spite of no website…and reads my little musings.  Elmina Holdings is working on building…yes…a big school in Ghana.  How about that?  He wondered if I might introduce him to Ellen. 

Talk to everyone, share good stories, and those connections just pop up if you tell people what’s going on in your life.  Hmmm, networking maybe?

Think I’ll end this with a picture of Larry’s house on St Barth…

…it’s hard to see but if you look about a third of the way over from the right at that point on the top of the mountain, that’s his house.  Quite a view from there.

Here’s the view out my window as I write this:

And yes, I am already thinking about visiting Eula and Melane at the Normandie Hotel in the very near future.

Tip From St Barth: Build it in…no instructions necessary

Connection Tip: Share your interests…always

I do hate it when I have to start off with an apology but…when you screw up, your screw up.  No sense making pretend it didn’t happen and thinking people won’t notice.  So, I apologize to those of you who got half a post yesterday.  Seems my damn fingers walked to the publish button instead of the preview button…and, off it went.

Well, to be totally honest…and I do think that open and honest is the way to be…those of you getting feeds got it.  But those crazy gremlins have attacked the email delivery again.  I gather the email version still hasn’t gone out.  So if you get this before that one, what can I say other than, damn gremlins.

Found Larry. Wonderful time at his magnificent house at the tippy top of Pte Milou.

Unfortunately, I have to leave St Barth today.  I will be sorry to leave the wonderful Normandie Hotelwhich, as you know, is the Best B&B in the Caribbean.  I mentioned how exceptional the manager Eula is…but did not say anything about Melane, the other magnificent person who helps run the place.  And did I hear about it!  Yup, they got the post right away…I sent it to them.

Melane could not believe that after all our chatting and the superb service I forgot to add her name.  And she is absolutely correct.  I am such a dummy sometimes.  I spite of this she managed to set it up for me to check out at the absolutely last minute.  With these two lovely ladies taking care of things it’s easy to understand why this is the Best B&B in the Caribbean.

And now, off to take advantage of my last day here.  Flight leaves at 16:20 so I have to get moving…not much time left.  I’m off to Saline Beach which is quite the secluded and spectacular place.

Path to Saline Beach

St Barth Tip: Be nice to Melane

I am here on the spectacular island of St Barth.  Getting here was quite the adventure since I left my house at 4 in the morning right after an ice storm.  Since I live way out in a rural area it was a wild ride to the airport.  Nothing much happened along the way until the final flight…a tiny plane (held 10) for the 10 minute flight from St Maarten to St Barth.  Here’s the St Barth airport:

Yup, it does dump you right in the water if you don’t stop where you’re supposed to.  But that’s not the interesting thing about the short flight.

Sidebar: I was standing right at the end of the runway when I took that picture up there. It’s the top of a hill and the planes come over the hill and brush the ground there as they land…going down the hill towards the water.  Quite amazing.

During the flight I chatted with the lady next to me.  For some reason Africa came up.  After we landed we walked thru immigration…12 seconds…and out the front door of the airport together.  She was immediately greeted by a woman, introduced me as the Africa expert (!),  and then we stood talking while they waited for the lady’s husband to pick them up and I scanned the area for Larry O’Donnell who was perhaps going to pick me up.  No Larry.

So I asked my new friends if they were going my way, but no, they were actually going in the opposite direction.  Notwithstanding this, they said they would be happy to drop me off where I was going.  So…reason number one for always talking to your seatmate: free rides.

Off to the Normandie Hotel…it’s really a small and wonderful Bed & Breakfast.  No one is there but there is an envelope with my name on it and a key inside.  While I’m looking at this, someone comes in.  She turns out to be Eula Prada, the manager.  She offers me wine and we have a nice conversation for an hour or so.  Seems that they have just been judged the Best B&B in the Caribbean for 2010 by Caribbean Travel & Leisure!

Still no Larry. 

So I drink wine with Eula and then wander off to check my email.  Of course, you know what happens…I can’t connect.  Damn Blackberry is getting it all but can’t get the computer to work so I can actually answer some emails that require real paragraphs.  And no Web Ogres around!  So Eula drags over another guest with the words “he’s always looking at his computer so must know what he’s doing.”

After a bit, we actually get it to work!  We are both amazed since he knows no more than I do about these things. I was anxious about this since I got a request to drop in on Microsoft in Redmond Washington and talk to 150 managers.  Yikes!  Don’t want to miss that because I’m on St Barth and technologically challenged.

Still no Larry.

So I wander down the road to the K’fe Massai Restaurant.  It is almost empty.  I sit at the small bar.  I recognize the bartender and wonder if he will remember me.  He stares for a minute, comes over, and says “you are Larry O’Donnell’s friend. You were here a year ago.”  I am in awe.  He remembered me sitting at this very bar a whole year ago…when we talked quite a bit, but still.

We have a nice chat while I drink a glass of wine…notice a theme here? He recommends a tapas which is spectacular.  I hear about St Barth and his young child as we natter on about this and that.  Finally I have dinner…also wonderful. 

Then he comes over with this little tiny bottle and a shot glass.  He fills the glass and hands it to me.  It is some delicious rhum, ginger, and secret spices drink that he makes.  He leaves me the bottle which turns out to hold exactly 3 shots. I leave you figure out how I know this.

I’ve had it. Left my house at 4AM and it’s now 10 at night. So I get the check and find…he gave me the rhum.  So reason number two to talk to everyone: they remember you and you get…free drinks.

I overtip dramatically and wander back. 

Still no Larry.

Travel tip: Talk to everyone, who knows what will result.

They did it!  It was a long and difficult struggle but my Web Ogres managed to fight their way through the crappy code someone added to WordPress.  It seems that WorkPress is open source so sometimes people add things without realizing that it just might screw up something else.  And as you all know, if technology can be screwed up…it will happen to me.

They tell me that I am the only person they know where the spell of untimeliness took hold.  But they persevered.  And it took quite a bit of perseverance since they had to actually figure out where the bad gremlin was hiding out and then slay him with the spell of correction.

Which causes me to think about perseverance.  As a world we suffer from Instantaneousness.  This recently diagnosed mental disease leads to a distorted time sense couple with an inability to concentrate for any extended period of time.  It has become an epidemic.

Luckily for me, my Web Ogres have not been stricken by this dire disease.  I must admit that I feel it’s pull but am working hard to fight it off.

It is an insidious disease for it robs people of their ability to do anything that requires extended effort.  For those of you out there interested in connecting with new people…it often takes persistence.   And instantaneousness is the enemy of persistence!

The good thing about instantaneousness is that fighting it off is a matter of mental effort that anyone can do.  So if you feel it’s dreaded effects reaching out for you…fight back.  Stay focused.  Concentrate.  Turn off all the distractions.

It’s a funny thing.  The more others get distracted…the more they leave the field open for you.  Take advantage of this.  Defeat instantaneousness and reach your goals.

Defeat Instantaneousness Tip: Focus

Ogre Rick

Ogre Paul

By the way, if they really have vanquished the demon you will get the email about his blog Sunday morning January 16.  We’ll see…

As you all know, I’ve been more than a bit crazed about the odd arrival date of this little missive for those of you receiving it via email.  Those other ways work fine as does just looking at it on the site.  Of course, I guess if you don’t get the email you don’t know to go there and look. 

So imagine my surprise when yesterday…assuming you get this on January 13, a fitting day that, the 13th…both the last two missing posts showed up in my inbox.  Oddly, they were attached and came as one.  Those gremlins are really playing with me.

But I hear that it might just work correctly now, so, we’ll see.

Luckily for me I’ve other things going on.  First of all, I sent out the first announcement about the most spectacular event ever…my annual Talkfest for Camphill Village Kimberton Hills where I am Board President.  This is that Party mentioned up there in the title.

It’s a wonderful event…you really should check it out…but you need a great story to grab people’s attention.  So I write an ongoing sage right up until…the day.  Why, it’s no different than networking.  Catch their attention with a good story and then keep it going through future meetings.

Then you have to offer them something that resonates with them.  In our Talkfest case, it’s fantastic food and wine for hours and hours with absolutely no program…just, talk. (It is a Talkfest after all)  In the week since this first announcement went out…it’s really a save the date announcement…over 25% of the seats have been reserved and Bernadette has received lots of calls and emails.  When you read the announcement you’ll realize how cool this is since…there are no seats!  But there are oardoors!

Even better, my own networking is paying off.  (Except in the get a date department…oh well.) Meetings in St Barth, Detroit, New York, Boston, Gaborone(Botswana), Windhoek(Namibia), Whidbey Island(Puget Sound) are happening in the next month or two.  All of which came about due to showing up and sharing interesting stories with people to catch their attention.  And then being very clear about what I can do for them without ever even asking what they can do for me.

It’s a new year. Throw off the past and get out there and charge ahead.  Revisit old connections, keep your eyes open for new ones, share a great story with everyone, and don’t forget…it’s all about them.

 Whidbey Island

  Windhoek

 Detroit

 Gaborone

 Boston

 New York City

 St Barth

 Bonus Picture: Puget Sound

Open Your Mind Tip: Go someplace else

My last post…in response to many of you who complained that it was dated December 29 and arrived via email January 5…was scheduled to arrive via email January 6.  Here it is early January 9 and mine still hasn’t arrived…which I assume means neither has anyone else’s who gets it via email.  Probably  this one scheduled for this morning will arrive before the earlier one.

The whole thing does make me crazy.  Most interesting is that my other blog…Benari Blog…goes out every Tuesday morning about 9 exactly like it’s supposed to.  Yup, it’s WordPress also.  Of course Benari Blog is much more serious and all about being a better leader so perhaps WordPress likes it more.

Then there’s the fact that I’ve had my disagreements with the Internet Gnomes.  My Web Ogre warned me about getting them annoyed with me, but did I listen?  Nope.  Maybe they haven’t figured out that the most erudite fellow behind the exceptionally useful Benari Blog …is me!  So let’s keep it quiet.

You might think that all this is just random chatter and hardly worth thinking about but it does lead me to cogitate on the issue of Walking The Talk.  I’ve spent years spouting on about the fact that one of the most important things for you to do to gain credibility, build and strengthen connections, develop a good reputation, and attract more people, is…doing what you say you’ll do.

Meeting lots of new people gets you nowhere if you can’t maintain the relationships you have because no one trusts you to follow through.  Committment means something.

And here I am, reduced to clenched teeth and pursed lips at 6 Sunday morning aggravating over my inability to figure out how to get a vendor to meet their committment.  Right there in the little Publish box it says it will go out on time!

In this case, I’m at least having fun venting about this to all of you.  And although it irritates me no end…as you can surely tell…it’s not all that big a deal since I don’t think there’s anyone really depending on my words for any life or death situations.

But it does lead to quite a few people hearing things about WordPress that aren’t so nice.  This little missive goes out to quite a few people…some even read it…and gets picked up and repeated around the world, to my great amazement.

So think about how this applies to your committments.  Are you following through?  Are you only agreeing to do that which you actually will do?  Or are people counting on you and finding you missing in action?

And what does this say about you?  Even more important, what does it lead others to say about you?

Exercise Tip: Walk the Talk

I am starting off by apologizing to all of you who sent me a note complaining about receiving the December 29 year end post the morning of January 5.  I got mine then also.  It was written and scheduled to go out on time around 9 in the morning on December 29.  After all, it is the year end posting with my New Year’s Resolution for all of you included:  Become More Happy…Become Healthier.

I have no idea why WordPress is so ridiculously unreliable about meeting their committment to those of us who like to get blogs via email.  If you get it in other ways or just look at it on the internet, it’s there on time just like it’s supposed to be.  Yup, makes me crazy.

But it sure does give you some idea about how people feel if you don’t follow through on whatever committments you make to them.  If you miss your deadline…it can have horrible consequences.  In my case, you missed 5 whole days of Becoming More Happy and Healthy!  Luckily you can make it up by working to be not just more happy but extremely happy for the rest of the year.  Whew!

By the way, before I forget, this post is supposed to go out via email about 9 in the morning on January 6.  Are you reading this WordPress?

On a different note, I happened to come across this wonderful Japanese proverb somewhere.  I wrote it down some weeks ago but neglected to note where I saw it so you’ll just have to enjoy it without attribution.  It is something to keep in mind as you go out into the world this year to meet new people, grow your connections…and business, and work to make the world a better place than your found it.

Vision without action is a daydream.

Action without vision is a nightmare.

So you have something to gaze at while cogitating on how the proverb can guide you forward, here is a wonderful picture taken by my friend Dan Wallace of Tailwind Discovery Group in Chicago:

I lifted it from his blog Carp Diem that only comes out every few months which must be because he writes the most detailed and interesting observations which surely take months of thought…versus my ramblings which are often over before I’ve even started.

Tip To Myself: Finish the new book!