one-eight of my MBA journey at Babson ended two days ago, and it’s now the time to sum-up my experiences and lessons learned.The big shift, is the improvements in my communication skills in a short period of time.I communicate better, present better, and I practice by getting feedback from my friends and the faculty members at Babson.

I came to Babson to study things I can’t study in any other place. People usually have different goals, but mine are focused on gaining experiences by meeting and talking with people about subjects interest me. The faculty at Babson are amazing. I have amazing conversations with them after classes.

Not only have I improved my skills, but I also meet great people on campus and in the Boston area.

Fueling you network

When you say networking, you say everything. I polished my unique networking skills and made the adjustments for the US culture. At the end of the day, it’s not only what you know, but who you know. Don’t forget to make networking a main part of your life. I see big change when I prepare in advance for every networking session. I search people’s names on Linkedin and Facebook, google their names and read about their companies. If it’s a public company, I also read the latest news in the Wall Street Journal on that company. Networking is a full time job, so be ready for it every morning. The important process comes after the meetings. Other than thank you emails, think about how you can help. I use google alerts to track companies and people so I can send fresh articles if I find they’re useful to someone in my network. Don’t just connect with someone, but try to engage.

Shut up and listen before speaking

We all want to be heard. We have a lot to say but limited time to deliver our message. Smart people say the right thing at the right time. I find myself thinking a lot before I say something.
In the US, people will listen to what you have to say, but you have a very short time to do that. I still have a lot to improve in this area, but I find that I have to think fast.I set a goal of being a better listener in general. I started with listening to my friends not only the ones in school. So next time, try to spend 15% more time by listening other than speaking.

Try to find the good in everyone

At Babson, we focus on team work all the time. I found that while team work can be very helpful, it also can be very harmful. The important thing is to lead the conversation and split the time between brainstorming and taking action. I’m now part of more than five different groups and It’s amazing. Collaborating with people can make you think about ideas you didn’t realize even existed. I have read the great book from Edward De Bono, Six Thinking Hats, and my goal is to try to use it in the next few weeks with my groups.

Every change takes time

United States is huge. Every state is bigger than Israel by size and population. After more than two months, I can barely say that I feel Boston is my home.
Learning to know new people and new places takes time, but I learned so much in the last few weeks that, hopefully, my feelings will be different in a few months.

From the moment I arrived at Babson, one of my main goals was expanding my network. I’m excited to meet new people in the Boston area where there are a lot of activities for entrepreneurs. This week, I met with Tim Chae, Babson ’13 student last week. This 19 year-old guy forced me to think about not only the differences between him and me, but also between me and my class mates. I came to the meeting with a clear goal to listen. It’s not a secret that I want to learn from everyone, no matter how old or young you are.

When Tim told me about his goals in the next few years, he mentioned all the time that he has “nothing to lose”. Yesterday, he published a post about that subject if you are interested to know more. Entrepreneurs are mostly inspired by the idea that there is never a guarantee, but you don’t know until you do something. Tim gave me a great example of Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, who dropped out of Harvard because he decided to focus full time on his company, Facebook. When I think about myself, I also have nothing to lose, but don’t see myself dropping out of Babson – no matter what. I have a lot reasons for that, but mostly because I just don’t want to apply again. Although, I’m not the same age as Tim, I’m in the same mind-set. Each person defines his “safe zone” differently. For Tim it could be his parents home or the area where he grew up and still knows everyone.

I learned a lot from Tim about taking risks, networking and enjoying the time at Babson. Tim is writing a great blog, and I highly recommend reading his blog.

Lets make is short. Below is a starting list of super smart people whom I would like to have 5-10 minutes conversation this year during my Babson journey. Why I publish this list? first – make it easy for me to go over this list as long as needed. second – make it easy for you to know or talk with a great bunch of smart new people.

Geraldine Alias
Colin Angle
Pano Anthos
Dave Barrett
Steve Bayle
David Beisel
Jeff Bennett
Woody Benson
Adam Berrey
Elon S. Boms
Dan Bricklin
Shawn Broderick
Joe Caruso
Jon Chait
David Cohen
Jarrett Collins
Matt Cutler
Richard Dale
Eran Egozy
Brad Feld
Bob Frankston
Daniel Gaffney
Michael Gaiss
Mike Grandinetti
Dayna B. Grayson
Chris Heidelberger
Jean Hammond
Will Herman
Eric Hjerpe
Nabeel Hyatt
Steve Kane
Alec Karys
Warren Katz
Will Kohler
John Landry
Margaret Lawrence
Rich Levandov

Chris Brogan wrote a great post about How Social Media Users Prep events.I think that Chris gave a great bunch of tips about few sites to find local events, people in your conference /event area. While I agree with Chris’s post, I would like to expand on the topic of meeting the right people using the tools mentioned there.

Maximize Your Free Time

Events are great. If you have free time, going to an eventcan be a great way to meet new people. The most successful business men and women, though extremely busy, still find the time to attend at least one event per month. Considering the limited time and the plenty of opportunities, maximizing your time becomes a very important goal. Choose events at which you are likely to meet people that will be advantageous to know.

Look Out For People

Using the tools mentioned by Chris, you can find the list of people and speakers attending the event ahead of time. Read about them in Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter. Find any common interests? Write their name on the paper. Make sure you have at least a few names at the end of the process. Now what? Think what value you can give them. Business partnership? Job offer? Kudos for some work they did in the past? Studying the “whos” of any event beforehand will keep you from missing out on opportunities to make personal connections.

Contact Before

Contact people in one of the networks hosting an event you attended, either before or after. Schedule sometime to meet them during coffee break or lunch. Be very specific about what you want to talk about. Make a list of two or three points on a paper. Don’t forget the paper on your desk!You will probably would not have more than five minutes with that person before you lose their attention.

During The Meeting

Arrive early! Say hello and share few insights about the event, or ask questions to learn more. That process should be more than two minutes. Be focused and tell him or her how you think you can help . Then shut up and listen. Don’t criticize, don’t blame. Think Win-Win. Try to have at least one action item at the end of the talk, such as setting another meeting date or getting introduced to another person.

Pre-Event Work

Add the people you met with to your LinkedIn network. So many people forget to do that. It’s one of the most important things to do. Why? Because now you can track those people changes in work and contact information. Don’t forget to send thank you message. Don’t write a generic message. You can start with a generic sentence, but then write a few words about your experience from the event or the meeting.

It’s a Lot of Work

Yeah, I know. Who has all the time for that? After few times, It will take you between 5-10 minutes before the event, and 2-5 minutes after the event. It’s worth it, believe me. Better network connectivity leads to better opportunities in the long run. The goal is to get more out of your time. Your time is important so spend the little extra time to get the best out of it.

For me, It’s one of the most powerful tools for networking.

What do you think? Have any tips? Please comment and share

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