Hey Watch it! Look Up!

Networking isn't exactly rocket science. It starts with saying "hello", introducing yourself and asking about the other person. From there, like any relationship, you have to invest some time and effort into building the relationship and staying connected.

It used to be the "staying connected" part was the hardest. You had to either physically meet or make time for a telephone call. Today with email, texting and Facebook you can connect to anyone at any time for any amount of time. Pauses in the back and forth or understood and accepted, no negative connotation given or received from it. The problem today is actually looking up from your smart phone long enough to say "hello" to the people right in front of you to even get the ball rolling.

We've all encountered the frustration of being at a stop light behind someone with their head down lost in the world of their phone. As much as the intention is to stay aware of the things around them, they have fallen into the vortex of the world within their phones. We'd like to blame it on Pokemon Go or Candy Crush, but it started years before either of these games. It started with curiosity and has grown into an addiction the world has accepted but can't stand. Anyway, back to Networking.

Try this, for every line you read on your phone look up turn your head from the left to the right and speak to anyone who you make eye contact with. Maybe even give a slight smile of acknowledgement to them as if to say " I see you and people are more important than phones". It sounds easy, and I'm sure you're thinking to yourself it doesn't happen to you, but pay attention tomorrow; it does happen to you and affects the people around you.

The Millennials are considered rude and self absorbed, I argue the rest of us are not too far behind. Look up and make a friend.