Last week I spoke at a conference and witnessed one of the most incredible illustrations of the power of intentions; it was such a powerful connecting tool, I just had to share it with you!
Following my presentation, I finished packing up my stuff and walked into the ballroom for the luncheon, which was already in progress. Only two chairs – not together – were left unoccupied as my assistant and I entered the room. I quickly grabbed the closest one, and began to meet and greet the woman sitting near me.
Then I noticed the nametag of a woman sitting one chair away from me. I recognized her name and shouted it out! (Yes… I don’t always have a good filter on my mouth and sometimes say exactly what I’m thinking.) She turned and looked at me in shock, not recognizing me at first and said, “Yes?”
“Don’t you remember me,” I confidently exclaimed. “You delivered my oldest daughter 14 years ago here in Denver.”
Now, Diane has delivered many babies in the last 14 years and she has seen a lot of women as a busy OB/GYN, but she graciously played along, still unsure if I was one of those “crazy” patients she would rather not remember!
Of course, there were a few unique aspects about my care, which I shared that helped jog her memory. Then, the light bulb clicked on and we reconnected after 13 years. We chatted and it hit me, what was she doing attending a women’s business conference on a Wednesday afternoon?
She told me that she decided to attend the conference with the intention of connecting with some of the speakers; she wanted to examine what it would take for her to start speaking on women’s health issues. She put that “intention” out there and guess what happened?
Go figure, I sit down in one of two seats left in the ballroom, and as the past president of the National Speakers Association for Colorado, I’m a perfect source for Diane’s newest intention. We had a wonderful conversation and I invited her to attend another women’s conference later that week where she was able to make new connections to start offering her expertise on helping women face mid-life (can you say hot flash?) health concerns. How cool is that?
What Diane proved to me once again is the power of intentions. Before you go out the door to attend a conference, a lunch meeting or even a party, stop and think about what intentions you have for that opportunity. Sometimes, we don’t know what it is, but just being open to the intention that will be revealed is a huge start in perfecting your connecting.
Here are a few action steps you can take to connect with the power of intention:
Perfecting Connecting® Action Steps:
1. Do your Homework. Find out what you can about who is going to be attending this opportunity. Ask for the conference/meeting attendance list in advance. If you’re meeting someone for lunch or coffee, find out what possible connections you might have in common. Think about how you might be a resource to them and where they might be able to help you?
2. State your Intention. What do you want to have happen, if anything, during the connection/opportunity? What intentions do you have for this networking occasion? If you truly don’t know, then simply stating that you are open to new intentions is just as powerful: You get what you focus on.
3. Put your Game Face On. Think ahead about your powerful introduction. What will you say when someone asks, “What do you do?” or “Why are you here?” Your intention should be stated in a 30-second introduction that will tell people what you do and how you might be a resource for each other. Remember the Four Cs in crafting this introduction: Concise, Clear, Compelling, Connect. Click on the worksheet attached to help you write it.
Let me know how this focus on intentions starts to rock your world; it sure has rocked mine!