I recently wrote a blog for a group in Indianapolis called Centric. It’s a group focused on innovation and draws people from a diverse set of organizations. Service providers, not-for-profit reps, entrepreneurs, manufacturers and corporate personnel all meet once a month to listen to a speaker and share lunch. It has gotten a lot of play, so I wanted to repurpose it here.
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I spent the first half of my career at Whirlpool Corporation with all of the blessings and trappings that come with working at a huge company. From a personal development standpoint, they provided everything I needed. I would attend four or five company held training workshops every year ranging in topics from Brand Marketing to Leading Effective Teams. I even took a full year of Italian Language Classes right at the corporate headquarters. Every month we had a Management Club meeting, where a distinguished author or an internal executive would speak. Every couple of years, I might break out to attend a national conference, but that was typically only when I was speaking. I lived in a giant cocoon with all the life-sustaining nutrients I could ever need. I honestly believed that whatever I could need to know, they would provide for me.
The second half of my career (so far), I’ve been a small business owner. Without having the company provided resources that I was used to, I found that I had to get out and meet people and find alternative means of expanding my influence. Networking (a concept it turns out that extends beyond meeting people down the hall) became a necessity to get my business up and going. Now my business is established and I keep busy… But I still seek out opportunities to network and meet with thought leaders beyond my four walls. Not so much for business sustainability, but more for personal enrichment (which by the way, leads to business growth). Centric is a tremendous organization that serves this purpose. Such a wealth of diversity exists at every meeting, I never come away without new learning.
What I wish I’d known then what I know now… Can a big-business person learn from a small service provider? Yes! In fact, they pay them for professional services on a regular basis. But what about the invaluable, top of mind stuff? What about the life experiences that get shared only over a shared meal? You don’t get that in a typical consulting engagement. Looking back, I wish I had had a Centric-type organization available to me during my corporate years. Instead of just hearing what all of my colleagues were hearing, I could have gained unique perspectives and brought them back to my job. It would have given me an edge that others didn’t have. Today, I firmly believe that the information shared readily at a Centric meeting could make the average corporate employee a superstar within their own company.
Today, I find that most “corporate-types” continue to think like I once did. ”Networking is for realtors, financial planners and small business owners, it’s not something I need in my life. My company teaches me everything I need to know…”. Yeah, keep drinking that Kool-Aid.
Kudos to the big company folks that have tried out Centric and have made it a home. I’m sure it has benefited you in your careers. But be careful… If word gets out, it might just catch on with other corporate employees.
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You may not be near Indianapolis, so attending a Centric event might not be an option for you. But have you checked to see what might be available in your area? When is the last time you had coffee with someone to share thoughts and ideas outside of your own company? No one organization has a lock on innovation. The wider you cast your net, the more likely you are to catch a great idea!
