“It was a warm summer’s evening and John Hunter was patiently waiting in line to see The Phantom of the Opera. The musical had just opened on Broadway. John, a self-admitted “Phantom nut” had flown in from the West Coast just to see it. Over the noise of the traffic, John heard a tourist behind him speaking Spanish. Many years earlier, John had worked in South America as an engineer for the energy firm Petroleós de Venezuela, and was fluent in Spanish. So he turned and started chatting. To his amazement, John realized that this man was his Venezuelan manager’s boss – someone he hadn’t seen in over fifteen years. What were the odds?  Two months later – out of the blue – John was invited by an international engineering firm to be a senior consultant on a large Venezuelan energy project. Guess who had put his name forward?  It is indeed a small world. Networks are powerful things…”

And so begins Work the Pond, Use the Power of Positive Networking to Leap Forward in Work and Life by authors Darcy Rezac, Judy Thomson and Gayle Hallgren-Rezac. After a chat about networking recently, a colleague recommended that Stephanie and I read Work the Pond. She highly recommended it not only for the entertaining read but for the great networking tips she picked up. After reading Work the Pond, I have to agree with her.

The thought of having to network – to walk into a room and talk to strangers – can be an uncomfortable or intimidating prospect for many people. The idea of trying to sell yourself and your product or service to a stranger is…well…challenging to say the least. Work the Pond introduces the concept of “positive networking”, a unique perspective that redefines our ideas of traditional networking. The real key to personal and professional success, say the authors, is discovering what you can do for someone else. They introduce a seven-step process to help their readers avoid the “toads” and make the right connections in business and in life.

If you’re new to networking, this book has a wealth of ideas and tips to get you started and feel good about it. Even seasoned networkers will find new ideas and fresh perspectives. So hop into the pond and start networking.