The New Zealand Connection

August Newsletter

Hello Everyone,

There are USEFUL messages below. I do recommend reading this.

This month's Xing hint:

I've already suggested that you join some Xing Groups. The NZ Connection is a "group". One of the notable groups is the Auckland Xing Group which has very strong focus on young Germans in New Zealand, and is not limited to people who live in New Zealand, or indeed in Auckland. This has an advantage, a young man who wants to do business in NZ but has never been here, can't join the NZ Connection, but he can join the Auckland Xing Group. Since most NZ'ers have some connection with Auckland, this group is another default group, for "all of NZ". You can do filtered searches on the membership. For instance there are 7 members in Christchurch.
They try to regular events in the Auckland area so that members can have F2F connections too. Thanks to Dr. Thorsk Westphal and Florian Neumayr co-leaders of the group.

The Useful Common:

The financial problems continue to evolve in the USA. I've recently been in Australia (Perth) and the policy there seems to be to avoid talking about it. My suggestion; just be risk adverse for a while. Save, don't take on excessive debt.

There is a group called One Question Only and there has been an interesting discussion "Why am I here" this link drops you in the middle of it. Interestingly, One Question Only Membership must be approved, but the group is visible to everyone, and everyone can read the articles. Only approved members can write articles

Engage with other people and Groups:

There are two ways to "engage", intensively, so you become involved by carefully reading about this new person, writing to them several times, making a guestbook entry, and talking to them on Skype and connecting to them on networks outside of Xing.

Or you can be satisfied to make a connection, read the business profile of that person and the "About Me Page" of that person and perhaps make a guestbook entry. Did you write a "Memo" and save it?

It's very reassuring over time to meet the same person on different networks. It helps once you know the name to read replies they wrote on forums, or to read their blog, or to note when somebody else refers to this person. Really knowing someone does take time.

Invitations

Do you ever talk to people about the work you do on Xing and other online social networks? Only a tiny number of the NZ population know about Xing at all. Share what you know. But try to be an example too. What about that "About me page"? Is it finished yet?

The Value of Writing

Finally you did take my advice and join some Xing groups didn't you? Now try to participate, firstly by reading, but when you feel able, by writing to the group yourself. When you write other people get to know who you are. But something even more important happens: you get to know what you really think about the topics you write about. The process of writing forces you to construct your ideas and to create a logical argument. Yes, it takes time. Yes, it's hard to do well. Yes, it exposes you to possible criticism, but it also builds your mind and your understanding. That's how you develop your inner muscles.

Regards
John