The Power of Networking: A Crucial Lesson from Our Travel Saga

Ever since I parted ways with my first employer, Vodafone, one thing became crystal clear: relationships are incredibly important. I spent the first ten years of my professional life within Vodafone, and all my relationships revolved around its ecosystem. But when I left in March 2009, I found myself utterly alone. At that point, in my mid-thirties, I realized I had no useful business relationships outside of Vodafone.

Why is the topic of your network relevant on a travel/outlander type of blog? Stay tuned, it is worth your time.

Only Half of Success is About 'You'

Success is only 50% about 'you'. Many focus on self-improvement: getting better organized, becoming more efficient, and enhancing productivity. While these are essential aspects, they often overshadow another critical element—your network.

Your connections are as crucial, if not more, for your overall success. In our complex world, simple tasks like building a chair or changing a tire can be done alone, but beyond those, successful solutions are always the work of many hands.

Why This is Relevant for a Travel Blog

Recently, we faced a significant hurdle in getting our truck registered. The importer of the truck struggled to get a crucial piece of paperwork for nearly a quarter of a year. This became the critical path for obtaining the license plate, without which, we can not start our travels. We were eager to hit the road; we have 'ants in the pants'.

The company I bought the truck from claimed that the problem lay with MAN, the truck manufacturer, and all we could do was wait.

Waiting isn’t a solution

For those who know me or worked with me in the past, 'please wait' triggers an inner turmoil inside me. I simply refuse waiting; Waiting is wasting time. Waiting can never be the solution. Understanding the problem and actively working to unblock the matter is essential. Never ever (!) let someone tell you to 'just wait'. This advise alone is worth another full blog post or a Toastmaster speech.

So I did what I could do and activated my network, using channels like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, broadcasting my need for a contact in MAN. I personally reached out to everyone I knew who had even a loose connection to the car/truck industry.

You’d be surprised by the responses. A Toastmasters neighbor worked for the company, an old school friend from middle school works for a competitor and had connections within the target company, a university friend is a professor in Munich now with direct ties to MAN, and the godfather of my child had a friend who worked there as well. The world suddenly became so much smaller.

The 'Law of Six Degrees of Separation'

The concept of Six Degrees of Separation states that all people are six or fewer social connections away from each other. This concept, published in 1929, still resonates deeply.

In today's hyper-connected world, I'd argue that this number has shrunk to four or even three degrees.

The Munich professor, via one of his connections, was able to link me to an MAN employee and this guy connected me to the very team handling the issue that was blocking my registration. The degrees of separation between me and the one person who was able and willing to help were only three. I wrote the person, and he was incredibly helpful, providing the status update and the missing piece of information within hours. It came clear that “only waiting” would have let to another delay of three weeks, because of a mailbox with a vacation reply. We finally unblocked the registration process and can start our journey soon.

This is just one example of why it's so important to refuse to wait and utilize your network. Use it wisely and sparingly, but always only for crucial matters.

Maintaining Your Network: Useful Tips

Be Considerate and Listen: Identify where others have needs you or someone in your network can help with. Connect those people and follow up to see if the problem was resolved. Offer a future favor to those involved; they will remember and reciprocate in times of need. Merging your business and private spheres can yield surprising results. You will be surprised which skills exist within only two degrees of separation. These can include steel welding, soldering, 3D printing, carpentry, plumbing, and more. Find out.
Celebrate Birthdays: If you get hold of a birthday date, make a habit of writing a short note, email, or text to greet people on their special day. This small gesture will be read, create a smile, and strengthen your relationship.
Maintain a List in your second brain: Keep a list of people in your 'second brain' (worth a dedicated blog post) and their skills/languages they speak. Having someone to reach out to in an emergency, especially when you're in a country where you don't speak the native language, is indispensable.

Helping others and getting help in return is easy and immensely rewarding. As was the case for me this week. The issue seems solved now, and we are so relieved.

In case you read this. Thank you Rene and especially Johannes.