Contact Mapping

Mark this one down as a regret and lesson learned that I may pass on to a younger generation. I recently read an article featuring a viral call for an older generation to reflect on what they wish they knew. Here is one of mine.

That my “network might equal my net worth.” I did not go to college but I did meet thousands of people through my travels and businesses.

What I didn’t do well was document who I met, for example, their photo, spouse, children, employer and or business websites and anything I may have learned about their passions. I did not stay in touch with them, did not enter them into even a basic CRM that could remind me to reach out. I did not map them out visually so I could see where they lived, inspiring me to reach out if I visited or needed information a local person might provide. I did not stay in touch such that they might remember where I lived, (Lanai, Hawaii), so they might reach out if they visited my island.  

I have learned that only a small percentage of my relationships convert to business, yet the rest convert to wealth beyond money. Friendships and non-economic relationships have become as rich, or richer, in life than assets.

This insight led to an idea.  

Contact Mapping (this is actually the name of an app invented by my friend Tom Chenault and his son Adrian).  I am only borrowing the name for this article as it fits so perfectly. 

What if:

What if college, for example, had a four year course in networking and relationship building…not just for transactional benefits but just for the richness of relationships.

What if the course was gamified nationwide across all colleges like a national sports division.

What if there was an app designed expressly for “mapping” visually people we met, like a Facebook but for the purpose of “me” learning and remembering details about my new friends.

What if part of the game was to exponentially grow our network by coaching the students to dig deeper to learn about their friend’s parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles? Where do they live, what do they do for a living?  What have they accomplished that is fascinating?  

Let’s face it, college students don’t have much to offer yet as a network, but their families may be a lithium mine of opportunities. 

What if you got bonus points for meeting the families of your roommates? For touring their places of business or interviewing them for your podcast?

How this could be gamified is by awarding points, status and even income, to players that “mapped” the most people, details and the highest quality of information. Quality could be measured through tests that assess genuine, human-to-human communication – distinguishing it from AI-generated or automated interactions.

Soft and highly valuable skills/attitudes such as curiosity, listening, serving (vs taking), writing, speaking, edification, gratitude, humility, celebration, empathy, collaboration, championing, confidentiality, ethics, honor, trust and integrity in a “teach now go do” approach would create a new class of leaders that are contributors to our society.  

Transactional careers and their educational pathways are the norm. They tend to lead to takers vs givers: “What can I get vs what can I give to my network?” 

Imagine the new 4 year college course outlined above. Such a “major” could spawn a whole generation of soft yet immensely powerful leaders for the future nurturing of our world.  

 “Your Network equals your Net Worth” – Richard Brooke

P.S. My blogs are, for me, a conversation. I rant for a bit and then … if so inspired, you respond. Your comments close the loop of conversation. They let me know I was heard. They let me know I contributed something … or not. I encourage you to close the loop … or open a new one and say something.🙂