As nice as it is to receive a gift or be the recipient of a favor, I really think there is no greater joy than being the one serving others. And the benefits of serving others go far beyond receiving a heartfelt ‘Thank you.’ Simply knowing I’ve helped someone or surprised them with something special never fails to bring a smile to my face and a spring to my step.
Beyond ‘feeling good’ about serving others, there is great truth in what Zig Ziglar once said: “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”
By helping others, you not only gain their appreciation and your own personal satisfaction, but you make a lasting impression—an impression that can pay huge dividends down the road. In my opinion, there is no better way to engage in effective ‘networking’ than to serve others.
Networking by serving others is so much more than LinkedIn connections and lunch dates. By giving of your time and offering your unique expertise and resources to do someone a favor, you build a connection with them that will be remembered for a long time.
I recently was reminded of this truth when a colleague of mine contacted me with an invitation to facilitate a critical collaborative meeting between more than a dozen senior healthcare executives. I have no doubt that my name came to mind for this opportunity because of the connection I had previously established with this colleague of mine by—you guessed it—serving him and his organization.
There is of course a difference between serving others in order to get something in return, and serving others out of a genuine desire to help. When you serve others with no expectation of a return, you have nothing to lose—and everything to gain!
This ‘networking by serving others’ has brought me amazing benefits, both tangible and non-tangible. By serving with no expectation of return I made a lasting impression—and a lasting professional friendship—that far outweighs any time, effort, or expense on my part.
How about you, what kind of lasting impression—and lasting impact—could you make by serving others today?
