HAPPY FRIDAY!! Oh I can't begin to explain how excited I am that the weekend is here, although the sleep for which I long will have to wait until Sunday evening after my soccer game. Argh. Busy is good, however busy is also, well, busy. I attended a Lifehouse concert at the Warfield on Wednesday, which is another converted playhouse, now awesome venue. It's quaint for a live show. I'd never been there before and I wish I would have frequented it sooner as we do get a number of great acts in the Bay Area, but life gets away sometimes.
Last night we had our first prospective membership event for Spinsters. This is when those 'who are you' questions flood the conversation. Luckily, we also strayed past the MBA to discussions on shoes and logistics of walking to work in heels versus flats. Highly thought provoking...kidding. :P Anyhow, there's 175 members in my philanthropic organization. A small percentage of them are easily recognizable as they are very involved in the leadership of the organization. Then there is the other type of member who is no longer a new member, thus not required to partake in anything and will simply show up when or if it's convenient. I actually ran into one of those members at the event last night, she joined my women's soccer team this season and in 2 years, I'd never seen her at a Spinsters event. Go figure we travel in similar circles.
Next, we have the potential new members, which last year consisted of 250 women competing for 60 or so spots. It's like business school, but we don't critique the essays, however each person does need to network like crazy. Meet the right people and meet them often. This is where I have difficulties, keeping everyone straight. Granted, I should try to remember a handful of people, make some notes and move on, but what happens when those people walk up to me at the next event, expecting me to know who they are. We'll repeat our initial conversation because even if I recognize them, I've probably forgotten all the basic answers. And the worst part, I'm on the membership selection committee this year and hence it's imperative that I remember who these people are. Anyone have tips and tricks for keeping people straight? I had the same problem with MBA events. I'd even recognize other applicants, but wouldn't be able to remember where I'd seen them or if I'd even talked with them. This is why I thoroughly enjoy networking sites, there's a lot of basic information at your fingertips for which you don't have to ask.
The good news is, it seems I've moved past my nostalgia for basic conversations and actually enjoyed myself last night. There are a lot of great women trying to join the group. On the Darden front, I should be meeting with an international student, who is in the Bay Area visiting his brother, tonight. It'll be nice to meet another classmate, but I'm hoping the night isn't late as I do have to go bridesmaid dress shopping tomorrow before my soccer game. See... busy. ;)
2 comments:
I found some good tips on remembering names and faces in the book "Remember Every Name Every Time". Here is the Amazon link. The techniques work really well, but take some effort to apply.
hey...thanks for the wishes..
I badly needed this admit :)
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