I know you. Yes, I do. We’ve never met in person, but we’ve known each other for years. We’ve commiserated, collaborated, agreed to disagree, shared moments of divine glory and debilitating sadness, done business together, referred business to each other, rejected business ideas, self-promoted, self-deprecated —
We’ve never met in person, but I know you. Yes, I do.
It’s easy to talk about how going to conferences gives us an opportunity to do business, to network, to learn–to relax and have fun and get out of the office. It also gives us the opportunity to meet in person those of whom we’ve met online, for the first time, from our social networks of choice. SoMe makes it’s easy to meet me and you and you and you — but nothing beats a handshake or a hug or a “C’mere you…”
However, it’s in the sidebar where the most powerful “meeting for the first time” connections have come, for me at any rate. A few years ago I met Alicia Arenas, founder and CEO of Sanera, The People Development Company, online via social. She’s a longtime member of the TalentCulture Community, an amazing business coach, an inspiring speaker and true, supportive friend.
Finally, after a few years of talking on the phone and online, I got to meet her and her husband in person deep in the heart of Texas, not at a conference per se, but because I went to a conference, an exciting new HR conference called TLNT Transform.
Sing it with me now — “The stars at night – are big and bright [clap, clap, clap, clap ] deep in the heart of Texas!”
Many of us have these stories, millions of them every day. The stories that make up our worlds of work. The stories that make up our lives. The stories that make us human. Even with disrupted sleep, drinking, dance parties and tasty barbecue (or your food of choice), the F2F conferences and networking events are worth it all. Social may be the connective tissue in an ever transparent world, but again, nothing beats a handshake or a hug.
It’s all in the relationshipping. C’mere you.
Thank you to everyone who joined us last night! If you missed Meghan’s preview post, you can read it here. Join us next week when we discuss “The growing contingent and project-based workforce.” In a post-Recession economy, how are organizations supplementing their full-time workforce? Have your own thoughts and experiences? Then join us for #TChat next Wednesday, March 14 at 7p ET, 6p CT, 4p PT, or wherever you are.
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