Message from Shoi...

Hi

Welcome to in-the-loop. It's great to start the week with you.

The week that was brought its share of tears, fears and uplifting moments. In solving a problem or taking on a challenge, I've found that it's not always easy to start and stay the course absolutely grounded on the reality of who I am. Grappling with these issues can sometimes be painful or scary. But I realized that unless I overcome them, I won't be able to grow and evolve into the best that I can be... as a mother, friend, business person, creative individual. So, I journey on. This is why I've found the earlier parts of our current series, where Ray writes on "clarity" and "inner child", to be particularly significant, because I know therein lies the roadmap for my journey.

For today, here's a quick look at the good stuff we've put together for you inside this issue...

Today's Featured Expert

"The Coming Alive of Internet Marketing" series continues with an article by today's Featured Expert, Adam J. Kovitz. Following on from Ray's last topic "Inner Child", Adam introduces the 5 essentials for effective networking and partnering -- Read Adam's article "Of Islands, Networking and Partnering"

Do you have an area of expertise to share in "The Coming Alive of Internet Marketing" series? We welcome your participation so do drop Ray an email. If you like our series and you think it may help somebody, do forward this issue to as many of your friends as possible and encourage them to subscribe to in-the-loop Ezine.

Shoi's Pick

There are 2 main things I hope to achieve with this column -- First, it's to share with you creative work that resonates with me. The other is to provide a "stage" where designers and artists can showcase their talent... in an uncluttered and lively setting. I like to work closely with a small group of designers/artists at any one time so I can devote attention towards promoting and presenting them in the best possible way, and one that allows our audience to connect with them and their work.

In today's Shoi's Pick, we're featuring a gutsy young designer who, in battling an eating disorder, has transformed her therapeutic outlet into something quite unlike anything I've seen! -- Check out "Stylishly Spoonfed"


Have a great week ahead... and blessed be.

Editor

in-the-loop™ Ezine

Email Shoi

The Coming Alive of Internet Marketing - The Series

Today's Featured Expert...

Adam J. Kovitz is the CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The National NetWorker.

In his networking, Adam has personally been responsible for billions of dollars worth of referrals to business associates. Do visit Adam's site and sign up for his newsletter -- his current article "Jumping the Networking Shark" is an eye-opener.

As our Featured Expert today, Adam shares his valuable experience and insights on networking and strategic partnerships in his article below.

---

Of Islands, Networking and Partnering

© 2007 Adam J. Kovitz and eMasters

“ No man is an island, entire of itself ”

This famous quote by John Donne (1572-1631) from Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, Meditation XVII reminds us that we were put on this earth, not as isolationists, but to coexist with one another. While this sounds great in theory, we know the reality of our situation is that there are places on this tiny planet we call home where coexistence is not part of the local vocabulary.

But one of the questions my colleague, Raymond Siew, poses earlier on in this series is, “what is reality?”

As a recovering engineer turned management consultant and observer of human behavior in group environments----in which they can produce wonderful “harmonies” as Ray puts it (I am also fond of this word as one who used to sing barbershop music) or the most disastrous cacophonies----I look at what I have learned from quantum physics. One of the basic tenets of quantum physics is that of the role of the observer. If we could take ourselves out of a current situation and see outside of it, our view of reality would change, therefore, reality is relative. With this in mind, local reality in the Middle East or Darfur is much different when we observe reality on a global scale.

So when we look at the reasons for why peaceful coexistence doesn't always exist, it's because we have factions of differing viewpoints. This is where networking comes in. What does this have to do with networking? The answer is simply, “EVERYTHING”.

Networking, when done effectively, eliminates the barriers that separate us and encourages us to work (and play) more collaboratively. Think back at a time in our lives when this type of behavior was not only encouraged in word, but enforced in deed without pesky reality being an issue. If you said childhood, in most cases you would be right. Is there merit to what Raymond was talking about when he spoke of the Inner Child? I think so.

Consider this:

• Children are not born with fear, but are imprinted with it later.
• Children are constantly told to “share and share alike”.
• Children are brutally honest…they have no hidden agendas.
• Children are innocent.
• Children are usually told that they can be anything they want to be…the world is their oyster and there are endless possibilities.
• Children are encouraged to do things like “use their imagination” and “pretend”.
• Children are encouraged to smile and laugh.
• Children are encouraged to “play nicely” in the same sandbox.

If the world today were run by children, what would our reality look like? Would we be closer to experiencing “the Kingdom of Heaven”? What would the “trouble spots” of the world look like? How soon would we get tired of playing the game of “king of the hill”, where there is only one winner at any given time? Try playing it with six billion children! What if there was a game where nobody won until everybody won?

Remember the game of musical chairs, where in each round there are less chairs than participants? In each round there is a loser…the one who finds themselves without a seat once the music stopped…they are eliminated from the game….goodbye and thanks for playing. The last person in the seat, of course, got the prize. Sound familiar?

I have seen an amusing, more collaborative update on this, run by a DJ at a family event that I attended a few years ago. Instead of chairs, they used hula hoops. All participants started with one hoop each and had to stand outside their hoop until the music stopped. Instead of eliminating people at the end of each round, the DJ eliminated a hoop, until only one hoop was left in which everyone had to fit. Once this was accomplished through negotiation and teamwork, everyone got a prize!

The most effective networkers I know are masters of playing the collaboration and cooperation game, like our last example. They dare to ask the tough questions as well as get in touch with the most positive aspects of their inner child. They have a strong sense of “paying it forward” that leads to successful long-term business relationships. They rise above the illusions that are created by the inner child as the adult grows within them. Those that choose this path become true leaders as team builders, champions of collaboration and consensus builders, while maintaining clarity of purpose. And while not all of us have accepted the mantle of leadership, we are drawn to these powerful and meaningful organizations. Why?

1. We relate to a common vision – While this next statement might seem obvious it must be said, “without vision, we cannot see”. If we cannot see, we are not in the position to build a team, for it is important for each member to know why they're there to begin with. The vision should be written, shared, easily memorized, easily understood and re-stated. When President John F. Kennedy stated to the citizens of the United States that by the end of the 1960's they would put a man on the moon, he was declaring a powerful vision that had lasting impact.
   
   
2. We share common values – People unite under common interest, but there must be a commonality of ethics for individuals to get along. How many of us would want to work for Osama Bin Laden, Inc. even though their vision might be to make the world a better place? Again, like vision, values must be written, shared, easily memorized, easily understood and re-stated.
   
   
3. We know and celebrate our individual genius – Each one of us has something in which we excel. Some of us are visionaries, while others are better at negotiating, finance, design, marketing & sales or technology. The best teams and relationships are founded upon the recognition that each one of us has our own strengths as well as weaknesses. When powerful teams come together, strengths are exploited while weaknesses are covered by the strengths of others…it is how we survive and thrive.
   
   
4. We understand our individual roles – When on a team or in a partnership, it's crucial to understand where your role ends and another member/partner's role begins so as to avoid overlap, redundancy and inefficiency. Just like in sports, when everyone plays their positions, more games are won.
   
   
5. We use goals as the language of communication – This is a topic for another article, if not a book. Each team member/partner should know the nature of using SMART goals. SMART is an acronym referring to Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistically-High and Time-Bound. And while this is common sense to many, it is only common practice to the most effective teams/partnerships as it ensures and promotes accountability.

We are living in the most wondrous of times. Modern technology and tools like LinkedIn, eCademy, Skype, CardScan, ACT! and Goldmine make it easier to connect in ways we have never been able to before. This is evidenced by the proliferation of virtual organizations and projects, such as this collaboration that you're reading between individuals from two countries: Malaysia and the United States. Raymond and I have chosen to work together in collaboration because of our adherence to and belief in the five points above. It is both the point to this article as well as living testament to the possibilities of networking and strategic partnering.

What new actions will you take today to form a more powerful team or partnership? How will you now network with others to help lift them up so that you may eventually be lifted as well? How will you create an environment in which everyone participating will be fulfilled?

Email your feedback to Adam

Email your feedback to Raymond

About the author: Adam J. Kovitz's life mission is to connect, educate and inspire business by championing the cause of better networking education and best practices within the networking industry. Adam is a thought leader on the subject of networking and is CEO of Adam J. Kovitz International, his consulting company, as well as Editor-in-Chief of The National Networker, the first “Consumer Reports” of networking (available for free at www.TheNationalNetworker.com). Adam is engaged world-wide by individuals and corporations to speak, train, and coach about how to develop effective business growth, organizational and networking strategies. NB: This article DOES NOT come with reprint rights. It can only be distributed, reproduced or published in any ezines/websites in its entirety and with the author's resource box intact.

The Coming Alive of Internet Marketing TABLE OF CONTENT Introduction - The Nature of the WWW and How It Works Part 1 - Clarity Clarity by Raymond Siew Inner Child (I) by Raymond Siew Inner Child (II) by Raymond Siew Of Islands, Networking and Partnering by Adam J. Kovitz Part 2 - Due Diligence and the Question of Accountability Part 3 - Web-Based Multí-Level Markéting/Affiliate Programs and Its Business Model Part 4 - The Aftermath Created by Multí-Level Markéting & Affiliate Programs Part 5 - Summary and What is the Way Forward for Netpreneurs on the WWW?

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