Issue link: http://ncumarketing.uberflip.com/i/1189682
Support. Inspire. Stand alongside. Encourage. Nurture. The revised Mission of the School of Business emphasizes the necessity of relationships and community in the cultivation of effective business administrators, executives, and leaders. Successful business partnerships—be they between organizations, countries, your colleague down the hall, or the barista at your local coffee shop—are founded upon the same basic principles that govern social relationships: shared values, shared goals, and a willingness to collaborate, encourage, and support one another. It's little wonder, then, that there is an inextricable connection between networking and community. Networking -- according to the business world -- are actions taken to create or build up a professional network of like-minded individuals who have similar interests and goals, and who can assist each other in the pursuit and attainment of certain objectives. Bryan Adams, author of Do you have a network or a community? Here's why you need both, explains that a network reflects "people you want to be connected to" and community represents people "that want to be connected to you too." From this perspective, an individual's community may be thought of as an optimized version of their network. Relatedly, creating opportunities for others also satisfies a criteria of networking; like any other relationship, professional opportunities shouldn't be one sided! Business networking can be used as a way of paying opportunities and services forward so others can open the door to building strong client relationships, according to Susan Ward in her piece, What is business networking and what are the benefits? How to make the most of the benefits of business networking. Cultivating yourself as a well-rounded networker, who seeks to benefit themselves as well as benefit others, supports the building of community in a sincere way in which all parties can gain. AND OUR NEW MISSION Honora Bullock, MA Department Manager, School of Business 3 Networking