"Networking that matters is helping people achieve their goals” —Seth Godin
Editor Edie Gibson, RDH, MS
We are created to be in relationships with others, to help others along our journey, and to belong to a tribe. Seth Godin, author of the book Tribes, talks about this very concept. He states, “Humans can’t help it: we need to belong. One of the most powerful of our survival mechanisms is to be part of a tribe, to contribute (and take from) a group of like-minded people.”
How do we begin building our tribe? It starts from the moment you step into a public place (your office or convention) and engage or encounter people (your patients or co-workers). It’s called networking!
What is networking really? It’s about helping others achieve their goals. I attend numerous CE events every year, such as RDH Under One Roof and the ADHA national, state, and local meetings. I make it a point to visit the vendors that sponsor my speaking. I usually bring a “newbie” potential speaker with me to meet my sponsors to help open doors for them into the sponsorship world.
What does this get me, you ask? It brings me joy to see others succeed. It fosters deep relationships and membership in my speaking tribe. My tribe grows, and, through that growth, I grow as a leader, mentor, and person. This in turn grows my speaking business and deepens my relationships with sponsors and the members of my tribe.
Seth Godin also writes that people want to be part of multiple different tribes. It’s in our nature! I am proud to be a member of another tribe, the Purple Ring Society tribe. This is a group of dental hygienists who have made a difference in the world through their dental hygiene careers. The Award of Distinction recipients are recognized every year by Sunstar and RDH magazine. Being a part of that tribe has opened doors for me far beyond explanation. It is a built-in networking tribe that spans across the United States and Canada. I urge you to consider it: Nominate a friend or nominate yourself!
If we can look at our career as continually building tribes and relationships, look at networking and our profession from the point of view of giving more than you receive, and looking through different lenses to see the positive in life, we begin to truly understand what it means to “reap what we sow.”
Cherish that thought and…
Go out and MAKE it a great day!
Edie Gibson, RDH, MS
