On Networking and Being an Airhead
“On Networking and Being an Airhead” by Allison Louise Miller Is this what networking means? Sometimes I think of people as angelic sleeper agents, like a "good version" of Agent Smith from The Matrix . You're walking around on a crowded Portland street, people have earbuds and antennae coming out of their heads, they’re staring at screens, and then, suddenly, someone is possessed by a rare enthusiasm–an outburst of JOY, an invitation to CONNECT. When you happen to witness and sometimes share these outbursts, the spirit that overcomes you in such a moment is just that–momentary. Ephemeral. If you don't ride that wave of enthusiasm, you lose it. So I’ve been trying to get better at spotting those moments and riding that wave of shared spirit. I think that’s probably what people mean when they talk about networking. You have to scan the crowd. Keep your ears open and tune into the radio all the time, like when Jan Brady got braces. Take my neighbor who played ukulele...
