2015 statistics

I want to share with you some numbers from this blog, maybe you find them interesting:

This Blog has 2851 visits through the year with more than 120 images shared. The most viewed post was "When a friend leaves", august 5, 2015).

I publish this year 42 new posts, that in total make 91 posts for the whole blog. The most visited day is Wednesday, because is the day I usually publish.

The top 5 posts for this year were:

When a friend leaves

In Memoriam Networking

Big Bang Networking

Masks Networking

Birthday Blog

The referral sites were:

Google

Facebook

Blogspot

Wordpress

I have visits from several countries, being the following the most popular:

United States, Mexico, Russia, Germany, France, Poland and Ukraine

I want to thank everyone for visiting this blog and reading my space. Hope to have you back next year.

Agreement Networking

The last week a friend of mine, publish a picture on one of my mega chats, half an hour later, he write down: "Thanks for giving comments" and left the chat. Nobody made a comment until then, and the next messages were of surprise because we didn't expect that he leave the chat.

When people have some expectations of what other people should do, the conflicts begin, so I share some recommendations that I personally follow on how not to involve the own expectations with other people feelings and avoid conflicts.

First: Do not make assumptions: Don't give anything for granted, if you have doubts, ask. When we make assumptions, we create huge stories that commonly have no basis. It's better that you clarify the things with your friends, and if you don't have the opportunity to  make it, then learn to think that there should be something that hasn't have anything to do with you. You will realize that you have a thankful life.

Second: Make a commitment with your own words: Be coherent about what you thin and what you say, this make you respectable to the other's eyes. If you make a promise, accomplish it as soon as possible, and if for some reason you couldn't do it, talk to the person you made the commitment and organize a new moment to do it.

Third: Do your best always: Push yourself and do it with your own style, the people will be glad to know that you always do your best. Do it with humor and enjoy what you do, this transfers to the other people and they will invite you to participate in more activities.

Fourth: Do not take nothing personal: In the way the people want to hurt you, they hurt themselves, the problem is with them not you.

Remember that doing Networking requires a little effort from yourself, empathy with your friends and understand that not everything turn around yourself, but around your friends. In the way you practice this recommendations you will see that your personal relations grow.

Thankful Networking

As you may know, I just recieved my PhD Degree, and I want to use this space to thank all the people that one way or another were involved in my study performance.

Some of the people mencioned in this post are also named at my disertation, but I think that it's not enough space to tell your friends that you realized how much they influenced your path. So I start:

To my close family: Eloy, Mauricio and Arturo... You have been all this years around me and in not few ocasions, have to leave me alone for me to move forward.

To my other close family: Dad, Mom, Gabrie and Jaime... you supported me at so many levels and help me by pulling out the best of me.

To my third closer family: Cesar, Suzette, Marce, Cesar, Gretchen and Jaime E... thank you for sharing my siblings with me, and also for all the things you provided.

To my fourth closer families: Zermeño Infante Family and Padilla Basterra Family... all of you were aware, by asking and congratulating me. You are a lot, and you know it, I can't write all the names but you are all in my heart.

To my former in law's family: Gonzalez Leal, thanksa lot for this five years supporting my studies.

Institutionally I have to thank all the people that economicly supported my studies:

For Tecnologico de Monterrey: Patricio Lopez, Hector Escamilla, Carlos Villanueva, Alejandro Cristerna, Cesar Barraza, Lourdes Dieck, Orla Branigan and specialy to Rosario Toro, who was the one that push me to do this studies.

For the Graduate School: Yolanda Heredia, Katherina Gallardo, Catalina Rodríguez, and my teachers and teamates. A special mention to Armando Lozano, my guide and tutor during this project. Also the people that participated in my investigation and which I still keep contact.

During my studies, I have the support of great friends and groups, like in my family, the names could go on and on, so you may identify your group, or some of them: MFC, Movi, ExaCECVAC, ExaAnglo, ExaRegio, ExaLAE's 92, ExaMEE's (some generations), SuperFitness, ExaGMBA (several generations), Club Altavista.

I can't set aside, all the people that were beside me in my job or in the supporting areas:

Universidad TecMilenio: My friends from the Academic Vicepresidency, and the work teams that I have at the Educative Innovation Direction and the Design and Innovation Direction. I have to include some certification suppliers that share information for the theorethical background of the research.

Universidad Virtual: The Global MBA team, closer and extended, to all the coordinators and assessors that always supported me. Also the teachers and academic team for this program. The VIPEC area that were with  me during the transition time and for the Educational Observatory that always give me information.

At EGADE Business School: To the team at the Admissions Direction, and also for all the campi and sites. For al the extended teams from the national directions of marketing, academy, executive education, to the local teams of the site directions, program directions and supporting teams.

Last but not least, I want to make an special mention to all the people that followed the ceremony livestream. This people are right now my closer group of friends and I want to mention that I love your support.

Networking Chats

Have you been participating at WhatsApp group chats? For example friend's groups, teammates groups, event organizing groups? Its an important way to do networking, but first you have to consider some aspects to avoid hurting people that is also at this chats.

I have some different groups and suddenly I realize that there is people getting in or out of this chats. I always wonder shy this things happen, so I share a couple of recommendations to deal with this events.

When you decide creating a group, or are invited to some one previously created, ask the people in the chat to introduce themselves. In many occasions you can only see the nicknames or the acronyms of the people and not always everyone knows each other from before, so its a good detail to make people to introduce themselves.

It's important that the people in the chat are aware of the objective and themes that are going to be covered by the chat. Once before I get invited to a trip organization chat, and suddenly a woman started sending selling messages. A man, clearly told her that that was not the chat objective and if she insisted on sending those messages, her participation will be cancelled. The lady stopped the messages.

If your are going to get out of a group, say goodbye before you do it, so you may not cause confusion with your partners. Explain your reasons or simply let them know that because you have new commitments you couldn't continue your participation for that chat. Let them know that you are getting out because you want to, and not for being offended with the rest of the group.

If you are the chat administrator and want to take out somebody, tell the people that you are going to take him out, so he's aware of the situation. You may not give an explanation, but if you were asked tell him its because his participation is not convenient for the group dynamics.

Remember that technology features are here to make our lives easier, but they do not replace the human treat and the good manners. Lean on your conscience and think how do you want to be treated, and behave in agreement. Live a networking mindset.

Do you have some story to share with us?

Wedding/Job Networking

When you have an harmonious relation at your work, you can go to social events and have a great deal of fun, I just advise to look out for some details that prevent you for crashing the party.

Javier and Juan wedding went on, the one I told you that we helped on the mask making over. Javier is some of my team mantes and he take special care about the details the wedding was about to have. He and Juan distributed the seatings for the event, for example.

All of my coworkers were sited together at a table, and some others on the next table, so we were a big group at the wedding.

When you have enough trust and a good work environment, you became as a little family and usually begin to get knowledge of some aspects that for the professional environment maybe its not easy to bring on.

Me and my peers did our best to have the time of our lives, we forget about the job responsibilities, and merge at a different space. So much was the fun that we came back to have a little more fun, now we are organizing the "Posada" because we have a great time when we are together. It's really amazing to know that in a job you can have friendship acquaintances, at the end we spend about a third of a day on the job.

Some useful tips for network with your coworkers at party environments:

a) Be respectful, be aware of not crossing the trust limits with your friends.

b) Get to know the date of your friends, most of them will not be acquainted with the rest of the team, but its a perfect opportunity to meet them.

c) Take care of your group, there always be someone that lost his cell phone, or that get a little bit drunk. Do not take pictures or video, never interfere between the trust bond that you created.

d) Have a great time and do networking.

Do you have a wedding experience to share?

Networking by Example

"Our children learn little from words; only your acts and coherence with your words work" (Joan Manuel Serrat)

Mexico city represents a big challenge for intercultural comprehension, more if you are an outsider like me. Learn different ways to avoid being harrased without loosing your ideals means to think a lot on your behavior.

If you decide to go for a walk, you have to get used that people will be asking for different things, all the time. This of course became unmanageable, you can't say yes to all the requests you have.

Two weeks ago, I went out with my kids to watch the "death altars" that were at Zocalo, then we continue  walking around. In our way we stopped at a bakery to buy something in the meantime we decided what to eat.

When I was at the bakery, a lady aproaches me and ask me if I can buy her a piece of bread. I couldn't say no, I just joke with her, telling her please do not buy the expensive cake at the place. She answered: "I'm not abuseve, I came from the street and I know perfectly well how to handle this situations".

While she was choosing her piece of bread, my kids looked at me and made me signs asking: "Are you all right?". The lady and me keep chatting and then I encourage to ask: "Ma'am, I'm not from this city, can you explain me what does came from the street means?"

She looked at me and tell: "You know, I work the streets, but today has been a very bad day and I haven't make anything..." I didn't wanted to ask more, we brought the bread and my kids asked me why I did that. I told them that people is going to ask a lot of things, but there are two special things that can't be denied: Water and Food. So that's why I buy the lady the bread.

One week later I drive my kids to the bus station, we have to leave early, to avoid traffic jams. We arrived at good time to the station, made the check in and have one hour in advance to walk, so we went to a pizza place and decided to have an early dinner.

My kids are two teenagers, so 1 pizza do not represents a big meal. They shared the pieces and we were eating when a young man approaches to us and tell us that he has 2 days without a meal. My kids take their pizza pieces, wrap them in napkins and give them to the guy.

I heard them chat: "The Water and the Food aren't for denial".

PHD Coming Soon

Big Bang Networking

The past week I went to the 5th entrepreneur summit of the Guadalajara AMCHAM. A great place to do Networking.

This meeting has the main theme the moment in which the business men realized a moment or opportunity gap that make the ignition for an expansion or potencialization of their business, that's why Big Bang.

In this event entrepreneurs came to share their experiences. Most of the speakers were founding partner or second or third generation directors from a family industry. Their shared experiences allow you to think about the decisions taken at some point and allow you to introduce them on your personal context.

Furthermore to the conferences, the organizers created a workshop where you had the opportunity to talk one on one with entrepreneurs from different industries. The environment created make it easy to have a direct conversation and learn from their personal experience. You can seize the opportunity to reach out and ask specific things about their practice.

When a youngster reach some of this workshops and ask questions about fund raising, legal matters or consulting services, you thank organizations like AMCHAM to provide this community service, that is really necessary to support the new talent development.

So, my recommendation when you participate in this type of events:

1.- Have an interaction attitude, you will be meeting a lot of new faces, just understand that this people are looking for the same objective. Networking.

2.- Take your presentation cards, remember that a lot of people will be willing to make some new contacts and you want that the people remember you, or at least your data.

3.- Bring a small notebook and a pen. Yes we are in the middle of the technology age, but sometimes is easier to make some notes and place a small indicator just to remember the issue you will have to do some follow up.

Last but not least, remember when was your last time that you participate in a networking event. Don't you think is time for you to do another one?

Tortilla Networking

Have you ever tried freshly made tortillas? Haven't it been the best experience? MMMMMMMM......

This weekend I was walking downtown with my kids, and suddenly we find a tortilleria. Unexpectedly it has no line, here in Mexico the tortilla line is a classic.

So we arrived and asked for a tortilla kilogram, and the sound and smells of the machine remind me my childhood. So I ask the clerk that if he could give me a tortilla. I have to describe the experience:

He took the tortilla directly from the machine and pass it to me, the product was still inflated, then I see at the end of the bar a salt dispenser. So with my hot tortilla in my hands I added the salt, and then make it a taco and give the first try. It couldn't be better the taste of the nixtamal mixture and it reminds me my Mexico. The clerk then ask me if I just wanted a kilo, of course what I want was the whole machine in my house so I can continue to have the experience. The tortilla sensation is soft on the inside and toasty on the outside.

My kids watch me as I enjoy the bites and ask one for each, this strategy always works, you ask for one, and then you have to buy some more. On the previous years this was known as the "pilón", they sell for you a kilogram and instead of the customer providing the tip, the seller was the one who have to give you a little extra.

We continue walking, and of course, eating more tortillas, without the salt, but the experience of trying a freshly made food from Mexico that has been a culture landmark is a thing you have to try when you come to my country.

Now I share some recommendations for you when you go to the tortillería:

1.- If there is a line, speak with the people that are around you. A perfect start could be, What are you going to eat with your tortillas?

2.- Speak with the clerk, it could be useful to learn the process of the tortilla making.

3.- Take advantage and taste the freshly made tortillas, it's an exquisite experience.

Donuts Networking or Job Bulling

The past week I received an email from Fernando, an admissions assessor, we were planning a reunion about the ending of the campaign when he wrote us the following message:

(Hi Team, good night! I want to share that because of the excellent campaign season, I will invite everyone the coffee's and donuts on Monday. Regards!)

I felt really special, and the rest of the girls on the team too. We all thanked him for the detail. On Monday when he had to bring the items he promised he told me that everything was a misunderstood or a Job Bulling process.

It happens that when Fernando moved from his spot for a few minutes, the girls of the team seized the opportunity and "assaulted" his computer. They sent an email from his account and committed him to bring donuts and coffee the meeting day!

The advantage is that Fernando is a very kind person and committed with the team, so he didn't want to skip this networking opportunity. He took as a funny little joke and to bond in a better way with the team.

The following Monday he arrived with the donuts and share with all of us. At this moment he is our favorite person at the team.

I want to share with you my feelings:

1.- Take care of your things and never leave your computer without a password, it will prevent you to be "bullied"

2.- If you are going to make a practical joke as this, you have to make sure you can take some of them too.

3.- If you are the one that gets the joke, take it easy, don't make it personal and have some fun with your coworkers.

Do you have a similar anecdote to tell?

Masks Networking

Javi and Juan invited me to their event "Do your Mask", each guest to their wedding will make a mask that will be worn on the event day. Have you been at a party like this?

Let me tell you, the whole idea was to ask for help and when their friends get to their home, each of us will help disguise the mask, the networking behind the event included the reunion of a lot of their guests and make us to gather around for a while.I found this as an innovative idea because mainly the wedding day a lot of us will be fun to say hello to the new friends we've made at this special party

Javi created the event and send us "save the date" invitations, and then talk to some of us to teach us what he expected for us to do at his home. Then he told us about the mask event at the party, the music that will be creating the environment and what he expected for his guests. He prepared before, make some research on the mask theme, brought the material, shared it, and then he made a presentation so everybody will know how to make each mask. He also gave us some assignments, at least each of us have to do 3 masks. I was chatting so I made just 2 of them, the best thing is that my friend Gaby made 5 so we get even.

Other important issues at the event where the "bring to" things, some get the beverages or the snacks, they prepared and have all set the working spaces. Also there were some desserts, so food and drinking where all supplied by the time we get there.

At the end, the last of us, help them to make a paper flower wall that they will be mounting on the event, and as in any social event, the guest participation will be a lot more fun and interesting if everyone feels familiar to the other people. I'm sure that the event will be a very warmth and active, and for us that participated at this mask event, a lot more fun. See you at the wedding!!!

Networking politness in business appointments

Some days ago, one of my friends was visibly upset, he told me that it was his second time that had been dumped at a business appointment. He had planned the meeting, now for a second time, and asked some people to be at the restaurant and without any explanation his date didn't show up, neither she sent a message. How would you reacted?

Communication in this type of situations is really important, everyone can have a mishap, but there are some politeness rules that you should not forget to follow, it doesn't matter the environment you are, either business or social.

Rule 1: If you think that your date is not going to be interesting, don't make a commitment in the first place. Is possible that the person is really interested in asking you to go the meeting, have you being asked to those presentations of vacation share times? Did anyone want you to buy an insurance? Maybe you understand my point. You shall say no to this type of commitments, but if you have given your word and accepted the appointment, you have to be there. Then you will find a way to retract or not buy the product, but you have to be there.

Rule 2: If you have an alibi, like you have a flat tire, or a minor accident, then take a little time and tell your contact that you will be late. There are some cultures around the world that don't accept delays, like the Germans. Latins are really flexible on times, but an hour delay its considered disrespectful.

Rule 3: If you have canceled a first appointment, a second one is seen like a totally lack of interest. If a customer cancels you on the first time, and you are interested in the selling, you will be tempted to ask for a second date, but if your customer misses the second appointment, then you should consider that maybe he will be not as good customer as you think, probably he is not into the product, maybe he is a "bad payer" or maybe he is just a not commiter. Don't give your suppliers this idea, always take your phone and take care of the situation. Leave behind a professional image.

Remember the courtesy and networking are fundamental pillars to personal relations, job or social. Consider always the people you are interacting with, when you have to cancel a date. Can you share some experience on this matter?

In Memoriam Networking

This post is dedicated to Alfredo Moreno Ricart, an excellent friend and peer since my college studies.

Death is something we know eventually come, but we don't expect to receive this type of news from someone that young. I heard first from the chat our generation has since several months ago. On the social networks the thankful notes and friendship tokens were plenty. The first reaction of my college friends were from disbelief, then we start asking tor confirmations and at the end we started to express our condolences.

As a group of managers, the proposals about the different things we could do to express our admiration keep flowing. We propose to organize a Mass at Monterrey, go to the memorial in Reynosa, and send an obituary to a newspaper.

While writing the message to Alfredo make us remember the best times we had with him. We share some photos and memories. Thanks to Elena coordination and the comments of the people at the chat we could made the publishing.

Personally I want to share that my last contact with Alfredo was related to a post that I publish back in April, "Petworking". I send him an inbox asking him to share me some of this Zoo pictures. He answered me back and I like to share with you the last words he send me, so you can imagine the great human being he was.

"Goodbye's are part of life, sometimes it's necessary to say goodbye and leave a memory about us before leaving, "

When a friend leaves

Paty, my friend, get a job promotion and now she is working abroad. This week we had a farewell meal and share one of this moments with her. Networking in this occasions is important as well as the ones that stayed as for the ones that leave.

When you know a person that will work abroad you may have a lot of questions on how you will maintain contact or how you'll be keeping your friendship. Good news, social networks allow us to stay in touch and be aware of the people that we care about.

With all this changes for sure your friend will be busy, but you can stay in touch, giving likes to her facebook or instagram status, you may follow her Twitter comments or look out her pines at Pinterest. After the first month rush, her life will take order and you may give her some advice on where or what places she can visit. Give her time, don't get angry if at the beginning she doesn't keep in touch, probably is getting her life arranged.

If you are the one that makes changes, tell your friends about the stress you are having because the mayor change in your life. Ask them for a little patience if you aren't aware about their lives as you may do it before and take some time every day to speak with at least one or two friends, they probably be thankful about your time share and get some attention from your friends.

Make the most from this new experience, make it fun, if you are new on the place where you live, become a life watcher... learn by observation the culture, times, interaction, social rules and courtesy, and then share them to your social network, maybe it will be easier that you feel some sympathy and closeness, by learning how to make new friends.

Networking at moments of truth

Have you experienced a bad attitude when you ask for some information? The past week one of our candidates left visibly upset after having interaction at one of our service points. We couldn't help him at that moment, and the next day I have to take care about the situation. The conflict management is one tough but excellent opportunity to do Networking:

First: Get all the evidence and information about the client you are about to contact. The most information on when he arrived, from where, by which mean he attended our service point, what information he was seeking, everything that can help to give your potential customer information.

Second: You have to plan a strategy, if the information is about your products, maybe you have just to translate the message to be appealing to the candidate and then explain him the information.

Third: Do the contact, by phone or asking for a personal meeting. I wouldn't recommend to send an email, because your customer is angry and now it's your opportunity to repair the damage. Maybe ask him for a 15 minutes call so he can explain his doubts.

Fourth: Before you ask him about why it made him upset, tell him that you noticed there where some aspects of the information given that kept without an answer, and that the call is to explain a little bit more the information.

Our candidate wasn't that much upset, and he showed a little surprised and thankful for the follow up. He told me that there were some questions that haven't been answered and gave me some recommendations on how to train people to avoid this type of incidents on the future.

And you, have you had some of this moments of truth solved in a different way?

Vacation Networking

Have you ever spoken with your taxi, bus or tour driver? I don´t mean conversations on take me to here or there, have you take some time asking things about the city you are visiting?

I went on vacations and had the opportunity to take a city tour. On the trip, the driver ask me to get for her some water bottles that will be handed in. She told me that I was really nice to her, I just thought it should be the famous Mexican hospitality, it wasn't a big deal.

When the tour ended, the driver get us to the hotel, and she decided to "return the favor" by explaining us how the city has been planed, and the logic behind the letters and numbers on each street, that allow us to move easier on the city center.

Consideration 1: Be kind with the personnel that serves you, it could be on benefit at some point. The people will feel the need to support you on the same way and in several occasions it will be of help for your visits to the places you haven't been before.

At the end of my trip, I ask for a taxi, and chat a little with the driver, he resulted to be foreigner and he liked to speak with his clients, he thought that inside an office he wasn't getting as much people contact. He came from an African country named Eritrea, maybe there are a lot of people that know this country, but in my case I didn't knew it. I struggled a little to understand where this country was placed, the economic activities, the commercial activities and the type of government it had.

Samuel was really kind to explain and tell me about his country. Furthermore, he also shared the reasons that take him into the United States. It was a really interesting conversation, I haven't met somebody from this world region and I promised him to share this information as soon it was posted. This gave me the opportunity to know a little bit about Eritrea, because I had reviewed it on wikipedia.

Consideration 2: Ask your driver for its origins, you never know the moment when you met global regions you never imagined.

Can you tell me some anecdotes of your international trips?

Earful Networking

It's been more than 30 years that I haven't had a "scold" for answer back. Have you had a call of attention lately?

Last week I met Fernando, my Blog's editor, I had a lot of questions about my post performance. He was trying to explain how I should interact, write and tell the story without being to much academic.

As a good student, I interrupt him constantly, instead of listening, I gave him my side of the story on how it was going to be a very difficult thing to do, telling him why I thing his ideas were not as good as he thought. The conversation lasted for a while, until he get angry, and I believe with reason, he stopped me... "Well are you going to listen to my advice? or should I leave you with your archaic ideas? I was on the impression that you were looking for advice but you are closed to it."

I felt as a cold bucket of ice went on me... I felt pretty bad, at the end he was helping me and I was not listening to his advice... I was placing walls between us. At some point he asked me: "How do you think this is going to help you?" and I answered I think with a post. :S

So making the most of this experience, and relating it to my Blog's theme this is my thinking about this experience:

1.- If you ask for support to an expert, do what he says, do not tell him how you can't do what he says, probably you will be wrong and your friend will tell you "I told you so" because he is an expert.

One of my questions with him was related to the number of people that was interacting at this space, and to say the truth its not that much people. I was just for quitting and stop writing. Then he asked me, Do you like what you do? yes... so you are going to quit because you are not sure about what the people think, of if they like this space or not? I really think that you were making this because it was fun for you.

2.- Your hobbies should be fun for you, this is a direct advice from Fernando, you do not have to think if there is someone else that likes or not what you are doing. If you like to write, do it and then deal with the people.

My third question was related to the social media security and the people that was trying to contact me outside the spaces prepared to do it. His next comment let me with no words...

3.- If you don't want that people in Internet, look at you, don't be in Internet, you will be trying to avoid the inevitable, that the people get in contact... so with a lot of caution but interact with people and live your life.

Tell me, have you had a similar experience? Do you have the opportunity to speak with an expert?

Specialized Shopping Networking

The past week I was on a road trip with my family and kids when suddenly we heard a loud noise, at first we thought that it was made by the car next to us, the type of an explosion maker. In a further distance I was listening to the claq, claq, claq sound that usually indicates a flat tire.

As soon as I stopped my dad, brother and sons take care of the situation and change the flat tire. Everyone collaborated on this matter, and my dad and brother seized the opportunity to teach my kids to do it. It's like the knowledge transference in a small community, the elder teach the younger.

Once I can get in the road again, I have to quote in different places my new tire. This duty took me about 3 days and a lot of phone calls. I couldn't understand why a tire cost that much. Those are things that I will never understand. Javier, my uncle, told me that I have to be careful where I buy my tire, because I could be tricked, so that if the tire cost a little bit more I should buy it at a company that gave me some type of warranty. This is another type of knowledge transference.

Then I remember that my friend Karla told me that when in trouble, I will have to place my need to the "universe" so it can move some strings and eventually the right answer will arise. So I start by telling my case and suddenly Lily, other good friend of mine, listened to me and told me, Do you remember Luis? He works for a tire company and all our friends, including me, have bought some tires from him, why don't you ask him?

So I did and Luis was really kind, he also get me some type of "discount" and ask for the tire and send it to a near address. The same day I was buying from him my tire, he was doing the same job for other of our friends, Yamin.

So with this in mind, I share with you the networking comment:

1.- Family is very important on the knowledge transfer, give the elders the opportunity to teach the new generations, this is a networking privilege that its worth to remember.

2.- Asking the "universe" for help, this means telling others what you need, may help you to get access or contacts that may help you on your needs and may have a good advice.

3.- Be helpful with your friends and offer your services, that may lead you to get some others on the future. If you are specialist at some theme, share it, you may get a lot of projection.

Presidential Networking

The past weekend I went to a wedding where Felipe Calderon Hinojosa, former president of Mexico, was invited. Being an observer to a public figure made me have the idea to write this post.

I have to confess that one of my relatives is a good friend of him since a long time ago, and this is my third wedding where I have the opportunity to share, on the first two I was really nervous to meet with him, by this time I think I become used to and I really had the time to watch his interactions. So I share with you some activities that make a people become a really good "networker".

1.- Came to an event with an amusement attitude, of course without loosing the style, presidential flair, leadership, being friendly and attentive with the people that is going to come and greet you.

2.- Be ready and understand the "picture" moments with the attendants, for sure some or all of them will want to keep a token, so prefer standing situations, in a place where is easy to be contacted and if there is a wall on the back it's better so your pictures will have a nice framing.

3.- This leads to a third point, frame good your pictures, this should have the public figure as a central point, but sometimes there are more than 2 people, 3, 4 or more. I have the opportunity to see how the president give instructions to people on how they should stand to be better framed. When he was president his staff do this job, now he can do it by himself.

4.-  Because this event was a wedding, the president was really close to the bride and groom's table but he managed to move between the guests, being at the aisles, and of course the dance floor. He always had this presidential flair, depending on the moment of the party.

An interesting story to share was just before the "Pozole", the music was "Heavy Metal" (Motley Crüe, AC/CD, Deep Purple), so there was few people making the "air guitar". On a moment, Felipe Calderon, stand up, cross the dance floor and approach the DJ. Then he stand at the dance floor and one of my cousins asked him: "What do you say to the DJ?" and he answer us: "Just to play something that I know."

The DJ do a change of music and played "Cuando seas grande (When you grow up)", this song chorus line have this words: "Nenenene di que vas a ser cuando seas grande... Estrella de Rock and Roll... Presidente de la Nación (Bebebebebebe tell me what you want to be when you grow up.... Rock and Roll Star... Nations President)." You may imagine the group of dancers, singing the chorus and pointing at the President at that same moment.

Mi recommendation, is that if you are with some public figure that is going to make through the history text books, seize the moment and approach, this people are great networkers and are always willing to meet more people.