When I was a little girl I was painfully shy. I don’t know how it
happened but I wouldn’t surprised if some “thoughtful” adult in my life
introduced me as, “This is Nancy. She is shy”. When I was about six
years old, my mother decided to put an end to it and she gently eased me
into meeting other children. I remember a day when we first moved to
Eatontown, NJ after my Dad was transferred back from Germany to head the
Army Central Intelligence Office out of Newark. We rented a farmhouse
situated on 24 acres of fields and barns and fruit trees. It was a fun
place for a kid with a love of the outdoors and an imagination.
One day the children from the neighborhood came over to see who the
two new girls were. My sister ran outside and jumped right into the
conversation and action. I looked out of my window at the fun and
wished that I was as bold as she. My mother, noticing my hesitance took
me by the hand and led me out to meet the neighbors. Oh it was hard and
I can remember hiding behind her, clutching a stuffed lamb for dear
life. Gradually, with her encouragement and casual conversation I stood
in front of the new kids and smiled. They didn’t care that I was “shy”
or quiet; they just wanted to play in our huge yard. We remained friends
for years.
Looking back I can remember some of the lessons my mother taught me
about meeting other people (networking) and I am so grateful. As the
years went on and I had a family of my own, she continued her
introductions and friendly matchmaking with my children. My mom is gone now but I think of her often and gratefully
acknowledged the huge role she played in molding who I am today, I
jotted down her networking tips. (She would have laughed at the word
networking; she most likely would have called them common sense people
skills.) They are great tips for the kid in all of us.
1. Be yourself. You are who you are and can’t ever make yourself someone else.
2. Be open to new people and new ideas. You might learn something.
3. Treat everyone the way that you want to be treated. Everyone has feelings just like you. Everyone should be respected.
4. Get out there even if you don’t feel like it. You’ll most likely enjoy yourself more than you expected.
5. Not everyone is as confident as they appear. Everyone has some
sort of insecurity. Be open to people and make them feel comfortable.
6. If someone is not interested, so what? Move on and meet someone new.
I’ve carried these tips along with me through life. Her advice,
recipes, voice, smile and mannerisms have made me who I am today and I
am grateful.