For this post I wanted to do something a little different. I thought I’d pose a challenge that can have two very important benefits: Pushing your own boundaries a little, and possibly improving and developing your network.
Running Into Someone You Know
I’m going to assume that like most people, at some point you’ve run into someone you know, say a former classmate, colleague, friend, or someone from a distant past. What’s the scenario when this happens? You quickly make plans for a phone call (or e-mail, facebook contact, sms and so on) to schedule a lunch or a coffee to catch up. Right? “Let’s how coffee one day” Sound familiar?
How often do you follow through?
My Success Story
A while back I had one of these encounters, but unlike what usually happens when plans like these are made, we actually stuck to them. Following our meet on the street we got in touch on facebook, followed up with a few text messages, and found ourselves at nice café in one the new bookstores in town. In the case of this get-together, my goal was to catch up with her, hear how she was doing, what she had been doing since (we worked together in AIESEC , one the world’s largest student-run organizations). However, when you experience this, it may also be a great business opportunity, a future job possibility, a new client, service provider, employee, etc. The possibilities are many, but you won’t find out unless you make the call.
The Challenge
Here it is: Preferably from this day on, and at least the next time, when you meet someone you know out of the blue, and make some kind of loose plan for getting in touch later, DO IT! Make that call, regardless of how weird it may feel. Schedule the call, e-mail, text message, whatever you prefer, and make sure you do not forget it or walk away from it.
If you don’t have these encounters that often, go for your facebook friend list. I know you have one or two (or most likely many more) in there that you’ve never had any contact with except for either inviting them as a friend, or accepting their friend request. Choose one, two or three, and MAKE CONTACT! I dare you 
Let me know how it went if you like. I’m sure we could all get a surprise or two if we got better at maintaining contact with the people in our networks. And ask yourself: What is really the worst that can happen? Or how about: What is the best that can happen?
