The Right (and The Wrong) Way To Meet The Right People

Today's lead story in Politico.com reports that The Washington Post publisher Katherine Weymouth cancelled a lobbyist "salon" event scheduled to be held in her home, where lobbyists and association executives would have access, off-the-record, to powerful politicians and press.



http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090702/pl_politico/24441



In Washington, everyone knows that being connected to the right people is everything.
Yet, this report indicates that the lines of "pull and influence" must not be bought.


But where do we draw the line for our business endeavors? How do we meet and develop the right relationships with the right people for success?

A client of mine told me he just sent his daughter off to summer camp. This camp is the same camp he went to as a child. His parents couldn't really afford the camp, but because they were teachers and had summers off, they volunteered as counselors at this camp in order to barter for his attendance. Why did they choose this camp at which to volunteer? This summer retreat was often called "The Camp For Celebkids" , the offspring of the well-to-do and famous.

Decades later, my client is still socializing with the grown-up versions of his camp-mates. Many have become captains of industry, successful entrepreneurs, and now many have become his clients as well. He wants his daughter to have the same access to opportunity he received.

While his parents "bought" their child entree into a world of success people, did they do it the "right" way?

Finding the "right" way to connect with people who will be good for our lives and our careers is not a tangible thing. There is a fine line between hanging out with successful people because it's the smart thing to do and "using" people for only our own interests.

I believe strongly in "who you are is who you hang around with." If you are surrounding yourself with people who are positive, energetic, generous, up to something in life, and contributing something to society, your life will tend to reflect these characteristics. Conversely, if you are engaging with people who are negative, defensive, and resigned to a mediocre life, you will tend to see life similarly.

It's easy for the media report stories of greed, theft, fraud, and selfish practices. Bad news sells. However, there are an equal number of people generously doing good and meeting other good, successful people.

Meeting the right people in the right way is as much a part of who you are as a person, i.e. your value system, as anything else.

Who you are is who you hang around with AND how you are with them.