Three months ago I spent several hours trying to convince my brother, a recent PHD graduate in Bio-Chemistry, how our software (Network Hippo) was valuable for everyone, including science “people”. He was trying to see how it was applicable, but kept explaining that scientists are pretty anti-networking: they avoid talking to people at conferences, don’t hold “mixers”, and rarely go out beyond the lab or the local pub.

They just don’t see networking as part of their DNA – they stand on the merit of their work.

Over the last few months he has been preparing for a move from Montreal to Ottawa. It was a lifestyle choice, and he holds a great job that he can “do from anywhere”. However, his wife is a teacher and they have three kids, so there’s a lot of work setting up a new life in a new city.

This morning he called me and told me that everything is in place: they’ve found a house, his wife has a teaching job, a new school, and childcare for the youngest. He asked me if I remembered the discussion that we had several months ago. “You know, you were right.” (that may be me editorializing) “The house was recommended and made possible from a relative, the job interview was setup by a friend, as was the school, a nanny was recommended to us… Everything around our move happened because of our network. I never realized how many people we knew who could help”.

It was their network of family and friends that opened up opportunities and made moving possible. Networking isn’t (just) about attending new events and “schmoozing” by the bar – it’s about keeping in touch with people you know who are willing – even happy – to help.

Do you have any examples of how your network made a difficult move possible?

(PS – reference to moving cheese is based on the book “Who Moved my Cheese” by Spencer Johnson, one of my brother’s favorite books)

image cred to zazzle.