CHICAGO (Reuters.com) — LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace... ask any professional under 50 where they network and virtual communities are sure to come up
with starring roles in this 24/7 world of meet-and-greet.
Yet the ascendancy of social networking doesn't mean pressing the flesh has gone the way of Hula Hoops and brick-sized mobile phones.
Entrepreneurs appear to be doing more face-to-face networking than ever, says Diane Darling, a Boston-based networking consultant and author of The Networking Survival Guide (McGraw-Hill).
"People are diversifying their networking," says Darling, who runs networking seminars for accountants, executives and others. "They don't give each other and themselves enough credit for the networking they're doing all the time."
The good news for those who get sweaty palms is that a lot networking is done where we feel most comfortable: During recreation, at church, helping our favorite cause—even standing in line at the grocery store.
If you approach all your social activities with an open mind, you may find some worthwhile connections that can give you a leg up professionally. Here are a few favorites among some professionals we polled informally; we hope they inspire you to think about your own daily interactions as potential networking opportunities.
She's responsible for bringing in new business at this small public relations firm specializing in entrepreneurial accounts and says she found some trusted new business contacts in an unusual place: Helping to raise money for V-Day, the global movement to end violence against women.
Hoffman's also acted in a local production of the "Vagina Monologues", the popular play affiliated with the effort that has gained a reputation for its comedic and quite candid take on women's issues.
"I feel like we all got straight down to business, we all kind of trust each other," says Hoffman, who was later invited to sit on a local board as a result of a V-Day contact she made. "It was good ... you know the people share the same core values as you."
He's a partner in this international advertising and marketing firm whose clients include Adidas, BMW and Sony. He stresses the importance of bicycling to his firm's business connections. The agency is so committed to the activity, in fact, that its Web site talks up the fact that 120 people in the Amsterdam office (no great surprise) use their bikes as a preferred means of getting around.
"I can't tell you how often I hear Monday morning work conversations begin with, "When I was out riding, one of the guys told me...," says Hayward.
"Seems like groups form in companies, attach to others, invite others," he adds, noting that two recent senior hires at 180 resulted from networking that took place during cycling events.
