Here’s another helpful resource for you to deepen and enrich your networking relationships.This exercise is called CONNECT THE DOTS and helps you think through how well you know certain people and selected organizations. The goal is to awaken your mind and motivate you to move these relationships further along.

This exercise is also good to do in groups, working together to figure out who knows who and how you can make more and better connections.

• Download these two pages of exercise sheets to get started: Connect the Dots _networking worksheet

Here are the basic instructions for the exercise:

Go through your database of contacts, and write down the name of any individual or corporate / organizations with whom you have a relationship and who you think might be able to help you further your career or business goals right now. You can also go through other lists of people (e.g., chamber of commerce members or board members who lead professional associations in your field). Identify who you know and write their names down on the attached workshop

Enter the number dots to indicate the nature of your relationship to the individual or organization
●    One dot indicates that you share/attend the same place of worship; hairdressers; workout gym; social clubs, see them at community events.
●●    Two dots mean that you regularly see them at social events, would have lunch once a year or have mutual friends.
●●●    Three dots show that you might invite the individual to your home for tea/cocktails/ dinner; play golf or tennis; they would come to family celebrations.

Once you have completed this exercise it’s time to move into action. Your goal is to strengthen your 3 dot relationships and see if you can move the one-dot and two-dot relationships up a dot. It’s time to reach out to more people and get networking!