FAILURE

FAILURE! In relationship networking, being safe -- which could mean either:

• staying in the office doing important stuff or even
  
• getting out there meeting with people, bland, safe people.

Either certainly dooms us for failure.

As Seth Godin said in his post today, "Protecting against downside and being conservative in the face of a priority list means that you'll choose the obvious and the predictable instead of the subtle or the remarkable."

In relationship development what does that mean?


It could mean not asking someone to meet with you because you're afraid they'll say no.

It could mean not asking someone if they need the services of one of your referral partners, because they might say no.

It could mean not going to an event because you feel awkward at gatherings.

It could mean (today in NW Ohio) that you think the roads are too bad for you to venture out to meet with your set appointments.

It could mean that you do meet with that person, but haven't thought about how you'd answer their question of, "What kind of help do you need?"

It could mean that you answer the above with a boring, safe answer, not risking what you really, really want.

It could mean that you don't meet with someone because you perceive them as weird or not attractive.

I could go on....and on....and on....

Go back and read Seth's post and decide for yourself.

Are you protecting yourself against the downside (of whatever) or are you boldly stepping into the possibility?