When I was in college, my professors were constantly preaching that networking was the key to success. They said that it was the movers and shakers in the industry who got the best jobs and moved up the quickest because “life isn’t always about what you know, it is also about who you know and how you can use them to get you where you want to be.”

Although publishing isn’t as cut throat as many other professions, it has certainly benefited me to have contacts throughout the industry. I often contact these people when I am stuck in a rut or just looking for someone to bounce ideas off of. More importantly, though, I use these people as an example. If they do something well, I consider how doing the same thing might make my job easier. If they try something and it flops, I learn from their misfortune and steer clear.

The cleaning profession is no different. In fact, one reader I know makes it a point to try new cleaning programs, but better yet, he invites cleaning managers from his area into his facility so they can learn from his successes.

Not every manager has this type of opportunity, but certainly they can find other ways to network. Take industry trade shows, for instance. If you can’t network there, you are doing something wrong. The upcoming ISSA/INTERCLEAN®show, for example, is set up to encourage networking by organizing educational sessions that attract industry representatives with similar interests and they facilitate a networking luncheon to allow open dialog among attendees. These are great opportunities to get to know other cleaning managers, as well as learn some tricks of the trade.

If trade shows aren’t your thing, look at alternative ways to meet the movers and shakers of the cleaning industry. I don’t know if it is the key to being successful, but it certainly helps.




POSTED ON: 8/1/2007