In a book called, "People Power: 12 Principles To Enrich Your Business Career & Personal Networks" the author Donna Fisher, documents the fact that people who have strong emotional & social ties live longer than those who score low on their "social network index." A corresponding report verifies the fact that the death rate is twice as high in unsociable women as it is in sociable women and three times higher for unsociable men.
Communities and networks satisfy a very basic need-- the need to belong. Effective networking can be life affirming. Networking can afford us many things in life. Aside from financial capital, networking can afford us social capital, emotional capital, and spiritual capital. In essence, networking makes us richer in this world. The most important things in this world are relationships; the ones we build and the ones we destroy. The relationships we have with our clients, colleagues, friends, spouse, children, and others, can make us wealthier people.
I've always been a student of life, of business, and more importantly, of people. The heart of good networking and building remarkable relationships is all about knowing people and understanding who they are. Remember, seek first to understand before you can be understood.
H. Dean Hua
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