▲GHQ-CSO-Connie Ma
Little Tip: Form as many relationships as possible; update frequently; resources are all around us.
Connie often travels to various places around the globe. She represents the company in negotiations, the signing of contracts, and understanding subsidiary companies’ operations, and, she is also responsible for the licensing of games. As the Director of the Global Marketing and Development Division, Connie’s professional networks are like the transportation infrastructure of an advanced modern city – not only extending in all directions, but also easily accessible and readily available.
Ready at Any Time, Available within an Arm’s Reach
Good connections allow Connie to work easily and effectively. She has never run into a situation that she could not fix or deal with. Her secret is reserving resources. Connie believes that even contacts that you do not have uses for today, you still might be able to use in the future. This is why she always carefully manages all of her “live resources.”
▲Connie uses labels to properly categorize her professional resources at work.
Before personal computers became widespread, business cards were the only means for people to connect. At that time, Connie used to write down the characteristics, preferences, and even birthdays of the people whose cards she obtained. After a while, her business card booklet became a perfect database of contacts.
▲Folder after folder of business cards was Connie’s early stage professional connections management tool.
Update Regularly, Never Miss a Beat
Regularly updating your database ensures that all of your contacts are first-hand. Whenever someone changes occupations, gets married, or relocates, you will be able to express your regards and concern for that person, including your blessings, words of comfort, etc. All of these are actions that are required and necessary for managing your professional contacts, and actions that will make the other party remember your warmth and friendship.
Your updates should also include changes in the contact’s personality; for example, if someone becomes “easy going and less fussy,” then we also need to change our method of talking and dealing with them. On the other hand, if someone becomes more picky and calculating, then our interaction with them should also adapt accordingly. This way, our professional networking and contacts management will become more efficient and more effective.
Use Facebook to Replace Handwritten Notes
With the development of the Internet, Facebook has become an excellent tool. Connie uses social networking websites to manage her contacts and resources even more conveniently, allowing her to maintain a good grasp on changes in her networks no matter where she is. Even when Connie is in the Unites States, she can still know about what her friend in Korea is doing – almost in real time. Connie believes that Facebook is an excellent networking and contacts management tool.
▲(Image Source：http://www.wacowla.com)
Facebook allows Connie to even more conveniently manage her resources. She can always maintain a good grasp of any changes in her networks and contacts, and she can even use pictures to help her remember people’s faces.
Manage with Your Heart, and Show that You Care Using SMS Messages
Although Facebook is a good tool, you still need to show sincerity and “heart” with real actions. For example, send your friend a blessing on their birthday using an SMS message. Connie thinks that using mobile phone SMS messaging makes people feel warm and truly cared about as opposed to thinking that the only reason you posted a birthday blessing on Facebook was because you saw all the other messages there. At the end of the day, human interaction is the best way to interact after all.
There is No Such Thing as Out with the Old, Only Unanticipated Needs
Personal relationships management is different from other types of management. There is no such thing as “replacing old relationships with new ones.” A relationship is a tool that will always be useful, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday that contact of yours may turn into a critical resource for you. Unless the person’s character has serious flaws, Connie would never delete anyone’s personal contact information.
Your Co-workers are also Your Resources, Never Give Them up Too Easily
Connie says that her database does not differentiate among different people. Even you relationships with co-workers should be managed very carefully. A good relationship with your co-workers will make your work experience much more smooth and easy, and is beneficial to the accumulation of your personal and professional relationships. The first step toward establishing a relationship is sincerity. Never talk to your co-workers in an angry or disrespectful tone; the same words, when spoken in a soft tone, can have totally different effects than when spoken in an unfriendly or demanding tone. This is how Gamanians should go about managing their networks and relationships.
Through At Most Six People, President Obama Can Also Become My Friend
According to statistics, with a good friend network, you can obtain unexpected results through just six people. Through introductions by others, you can become friends with anyone you want in the world. Connie says that through at most six people, she can even be friends with President Obama. Carefully managing your personal relationships provides you with a stepping-stone, providing you with all kinds of help and resources wherever you go.
Be Ready to Give, Face-to-Face is Always the Best Way to Go
Personal relationships must be established on warm and human emotions. Connie recommends that Gamanians take every chance to directly interact with other people. Unless absolutely necessary, don’t use MSN or e-mail as your means of communication. Texting does not have any feelings or human warmth. Setting up a date to have lunch together is always more attractive simply typing, “How are you doing today?” in an MSN window. This is why it is said that, “It is hard to be cold or detached when looking someone in the eyes.”
Meeting face-to-face came make the process of signing a contract faster and smoother, and can also allow you to see the other party’s facial expressions and state of mind. Direct human interaction can much more clearly express emotions than hard and cold text. Connie says that to leave an impression in the human brain, you need to repeat text up to 15 times, while direct human-to-human interaction can leave a powerful memory in one or two encounters.
If You Have Heart, You Will Find Time
Connie believes that as long as you have the intention to carefully manage your relationships, you can always find time to do so. “Not having time to meet others face-to-face” is just an excuse. Even Connie, who spends more time flying around in the air than on the ground can find timer to manage her professional contacts and relationships.
Although the game industry is small, it has strong correlations with other industries, which is why it can be effected by changes from all directions. This is why Connie’s relationships are not confined to just the gaming industry. Her wide networks allow her to maintain a grasp of all kinds of information and resources. It is her professional relationship networks that surround the industry, and not the other way around. All of this allows Connie to remain effective at her job.
Gamanians can start from the co-workers around you. Taking advantage of the help that your co-workers can provide will save you from having to do unnecessary work. From good relationships with your co-workers, you can further expand your network to people from other departments. Good contacts and relationships management can create whole new opportunities for everyone.
▲Connie has a wide network of friends, which is can be seen through all the gifts on her desk originating from different parts of the world.