Yes, it is true that many people are drawn to Rotary by the idea of networking for business opportunities in the belief this is a primary reason for Rotary. There are others who think there might be something wrong with the whole idea of Rotary as a networking group. History tells us that Paul Harris considered the idea of networking as a primary reason for creating this organization.
The idea of only doing business with someone who is a member of Rotary isn’t what Rotary networking is all about. On the other hand, when you are looking for someone to provide a specific service it would seem that your search could easily start with people you know. With an emphasis on high ethical standards as a central tenet of Rotary looking within the group of Rotary members you already know could be even more important. I have personally hired three different attorneys from members who I came to know over weekly lunches, made several referrals to other attorneys and deal with a CPA who is a member of Rotary.
Networking goes much deeper than business opportunities and referrals. As a financial advisor it is important that I have as much knowledge as possible regarding what is happening in the real economy. I know there is a risk of placing too much emphasis on a simple question like, “How is your business doing?” On the other hand, when the automobile dealer tells me his business if off 50% since the earthquake and tsunami in Japan interrupted the supply of product to sell, I am in the possession of real information that can be helpful.
When I was a young fellow in my twenties it seemed that having lunch once a week with some of those older, more experienced, fellows in the community who were successful in business and community service was a good idea. It didn’t occur to me at the time that forty years later people who are the same age as my grandchildren would someday think of me as one of the old people they should be networking with. Maybe there are only a few twenty something today who think that way, but they are probably the future of our communities, businesses and Rotary clubs.
Along this line of thinking it seems we are missing a great opportunity when we don’t have craft talks as a frequent and regular part of our weekly meetings. I have witnessed more than one club that thinks of a craft talk as nothing more than on obligation of the general club membership to endure this sort of rite of passage by new members or thinking of a craft talk as the ultimate back up for the program that fails to appear. If I was the czar of everything ‘Rotary’ it would be my directive that every Rotary club should have a 10 minute craft talk every week. New members, tenured members and members who have changed occupations would have a five or ten minute opportunity to keep everyone up to date on their activities.
In these economically troubled times there are a lot of people developing new skills, starting new businesses and even wandering in the economic wilderness trying to figure out where they are headed and what they can do. What a customer service we could provide all of our members by spreading the word of who is doing what. Almost sounds like a good enough idea that a social networking group like LinkedIn could make a business out of connecting people with each other.