Who Is in Your World?

No doubt you know many people from different areas of your life. You work with some, you play with some and you serve on committees with some. The question is: How many people do you know who know you? The average that most people have is around 250. Perhaps you have a few less; perhaps you know a few more. It’s a good exercise to make a list of all the people you have met who know you.

My World Exercise™ Think of the people you have met and who know you. List them by the different groups that you associate them with:
·    family
·    friends
·    neighborhood
·    work colleagues
·    clients
·    past job associates
·    exercise/fitness groups
·    church or spiritual communities
·    community service or volunteer groups
·    hobbies
·    college friends
·    school/kids/scouts/sports

Download this template My World Exercise_networking master list. Use it to start listing the many people who are already in your network – personal and professional – present and past.

Instructions: I recommend that you complete this exercise at first without access to your computer database or cell phone. You will probably be able to generate a list of several hundred people. Once you have that list, then access your address lists loaded on your cell phone, computer and social media sites and look over the holiday cards that you’ve sent and received in the past. Watch how the list of people that you know grows. How many people are on your list now? Are you surprised? This is a glimpse at who is in your current network. Keep this list handy.

Who is in your Top 50 Contacts?

Now it’s time to figure out who is most important to you on this master list.  Download the worksheet_- My Top 50 Contacts – and discover the 50 most important people to you in your professional and personal network.