'NetWeaving' combines networking, Golden Rule

By reversing the traditional networking question "How can you help me?" to "How can I help you?," Bob Littell, a 37-year veteran consultant in the insurance and financial services industry, has taken the U.S. business world by storm. He calls his concept "NetWeaving" and recommends it to job-seekers and anyone -- not as a replacement for networking but as an additional activity that will boost a person's chances for success.

LEITA COWART/Special

Bob Littell, author of "The Heart and Art of NetWeaving," practices what he preaches by meeting with Randi Drinkwater, president of Core Potential Marketing, at the Buckhead Club. Littell's practice of NetWeaving involves cultivating relationships with people and trying to help them by arranging beneficial introductions.

"It's the business version of 'Pay it Forward,' based on the Golden Rule and the belief that what goes around does come back around," Littell said.

Business schools, companies, nonprofit organizations and cities have adopted the concept, found in his book "The Heart and Art of NetWeaving" (see www.netweaving.com). Littell donates his speaker fees and book sales to Junior Achievement and other charities.

When networking, people tend to filter their conversations and their listening to determine only whether someone is a good business prospect or can help them. They miss plenty of opportunities.

"NetWeavers focus on the other person to see if he is someone they'd like to get to know and whether he is a giver as well as a taker," Littell said. If the answer to those questions is "yes," the NetWeaver follows through to develop a relationship and begins to think who else might benefit from knowing this person.

Littell suggests that job-seekers host meetings between two contacts who could benefit from knowing each other. When they sit back and let the connections flow, "nine out of 10 times the contacts will ask you if there is something they can do for you. You ask them to pass it on by introducing two other people. Then you can mention your job search," he said.

NetWeaving skills include learning to connect others with their problems and needs in mind; learning to be a "go-to" person and a "no-strings" resource for your friends and associates; and always being on the lookout for exceptional people, getting to know them better and developing a strong "trusted resource network."

Besides expanding business contacts and ideas, "if you sincerely enjoy helping others, you'll get a tremendous boost of positive energy from NetWeaving, and I believe in the long run, the benefits and paybacks will far exceed those of more self-centered networking," Littell said.