Inside The Edge
About
The DeVenney Code
Enjoy the unraveling of the business world's deepest darkest secrets from the comfort of your desk with “The DeVenney Code”. Michael’s opinions on both major and less covered business topics can be enlightening, refreshing, and humorous. Gain some perspective on topics that you may have never considered before, and challenge yourself to consistently “think outside the box”.
“The DeVenney Code” is your way to the inside scoop.
| Mastering the Fear of Not Knowing |
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Don’t you just love networking events? I think only masochists truly enjoy networking. The rest of us – not so much. The biggest challenge for most people is the fear of not knowing – not knowing what to say and, just, not knowing in general. You look around at how many people deal with the fear of not knowing and it makes you gag. So many people at these events posture, pose and pontificate. Be seen with the “right” people, talk about what you know and impress with your position. Who cares! I really find these people are just insecure – covering up a lack of knowledge by trying to impress you. What happens is that they depress you. The key to looking smart (even if you may feel dumb) is asking questions. Asking intelligent questions makes you look bright and interesting. The more you get other people talking about themselves the more they like you and are impressed by you. The funny thing about going into unfamiliar situations is that you really don’t need to know anything – you just need to know how to ask questions. The best practice you can follow is to have a list of general, open-ended questions that you can re-frame for any situation. Things like:
And so on – just ask questions that get people to talk about themselves. It is amazing how we start talking when someone asks a question and is sincerely interested in your answer. Oh sorry, that is a second secret – you actually have to be interested in the answer. When someone answers your question, you can’t look away, check your watch or see who else in the room. You actually have to be interested in the person’s answer.
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