Making Friends, How Networking is Just

“Those who are best at [reaching out to others] don’t network – they make friends. They gain admirers and win trust precisely because their amicable overtures extend to everyone. A widening circle of influence is an unintended result, not a calculated aim.”

Keith Ferrazzi, excerpted from Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time

To which I’d add it’s typically not INITIALLY a calculated aim. I’m a natural networker because I generally like people, reach out to them, and make friends easily. In the past 4 years, I’ve realized that those traits are beneficial to my work life as well as my personal life. That tends to make me slightly more calculated in getting to know people, though not so much that it ever ceases being about making friends.