The core principle of networking is to give first and approach life and people generally with a generous spirit. When meeting people for the first time the greatest gift we can give to our new contact is our full attention.
By understanding and using the power of reciprocity, you improve your relationships
and avoid mistakes that can permanently damage your relationships. In life and work, you get what you give.
When someone does something for you, they implicitly expect that when the circumstance is right, you will do something of approximately equal value for them. But don’t wait to receive first; be in control and give first. These acts however should be carried out with the right attitude; give without remembering and revive without forgetting.
Stephen Covey (The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People) uses the metaphor of Emotional Bank Account to describe “the amount of trust that’s been built up in a relationship”
When you are kind, honest, caring and friendly to another person, you make deposits on an Emotional Bank Account. However, if you are unkind, disrespectful, uncaring and mean, you draw from this account. These actions all relate to the initial stages in the ‘liking’ stage of the building of relationships.
