Kindergarten Networking - Guest Blogger, Leslie Morris

As millions of children return to the classrooms and the playgrounds this week, the natural networkers and connectors are starting to show their true colors. Below is a great story from Leslie Morris, who is my dear friend and the editor of my books, "Some Assembly Required" and "The ABC's of Networking".

Ab0ut Natural Networkers
by Leslie Morris

In Thom’s book, Some Assembly Required, he defines three types of Networkers: Naturals, Reluctant Networkers and those who don’t see the value of networking at all and simply don’t.

He writes that networking takes place as early as in Kindergarten on the playground and illustrates this point with a story from his own childhood and then attending the wedding, 30+ years later, of a friend he made in Kindergarten.

As Thom’s editor, I always thought this story was sweet and while I believed it happened, I thought it the rare child who really began making connections so young.

And then yesterday I took my own twins to their first day of Kindergarten. My husband and I arrived early enough to give them some time to run around before heading in to the classroom. Liberty went down the slide a few times and checked out the playhouse. Victoria started chatting kids up from the moment she reached the Monkey Bars. Not five minutes later she brought two little girls over to her sister and said, “Liberty, I want you to meet our new friends. They’re in your class.” I about fell over.

Fast forward 90 minutes. Kindergarten Orientation is over and my husband and I emerge from separate classrooms, where we have used the Divide and Conquer Strategy. Victoria asks me if I have any paper; I hand her three business cards and a pen. She disappears for a while and returns with names and phone numbers written on the back of those cards. And then she asks me to please call their mommies and arrange playdates.

I’m a believer!

Leslie Morris