We all know at least a few people who seem to know "everyone." In fact, you may be one of them! Knowing a lot of people is one thing, but being a great resource for them puts you into a different league. *Bringing value to others is the essence of being a great connector. It moves you from "that person who arranged our meeting last year," to "Susan, the great planner who wasn't deterred by fire regulations and found us those ingenious battery-operated votives for our formal dinner in the museum."

Becoming a great connector will enhance your value as a meeting professional. Connectors know - and cultivate - a lot of people and resources.

All Sizes and Shapes

Meeting professionals have a unique opportunity to be great connectors because of the role that they play within their organizations and with their clients. It doesn't matter whether you're an internal planner for an association, corporation, or an independent. The beauty of connecting is that it can be done internally and externally and it crosses departments, silos, and special interests. Neither gender nor age nor position matter when it comes to connecting. It's an equal opportunity pursuit available to anyone who wants to build bridges and bring interesting people and resources together with no self-interest involved.

Benefits of Connecting

Most of the benefits to becoming an effective connector are subtle. Good connectors are known as "go to" people. They don't get promoted or recognized for overt acts of connecting, but the value of connections made can register high on the radar screen of influential people who benefit directly or indirectly from your resources.

• Being a connector positions you differently. It changes others' perception of you from someone who plans meetings to someone who has relationships and resources that make a difference. When you demonstrate resourcefulness to your clients, you'll be amazed when they call you. When they seek your advice for something other than a meeting or conference, you'll know that you have evolved into the role of trusted advisor.
• People value your organizational knowledge. Connectors not only know a lot of people, they learn a lot about their (or their client's) organization. This is extremely valuable, especially for those who haven't taken the time to know "who's who."
• Connectors strengthen their own talent by cultivating others. Good connectors are good questioners and better listeners. They amass a lot of information that can enhance their own talent as well as showcase the talents of others.
• Connectors build relationships; they don't use people. They seek to serve others so that others can grow and benefit from their new connections.

All of us seek ways to add value to our clients. The art of connecting is a powerful way for meeting professionals to parlay who they know into resources for each other. The more you share and introduce resources, the higher your perceived value is likely to be. Although as a connector you will certainly benefit in this way, this benefit is significantly overshadowed by what you can do for others.

The best connectors don't think in terms of what's in it for them - instead, they think in terms of how they can help and support the people they know.

Next time we'll look at some practical ways that you can be an effective connector and increase your value as a meeting professional.

Lisa Aldisert is a New York City-based management consultant and professional speaker specializing in strategic business growth and leadership development. Her latest book is Valuing People: How Human Capital Can Be Your Strongest Asset. You can e-mail her at lisa@businessgrowth.com or visit her Web site at www.businessgrowthcenter.com.