How to Build Industry Relevant Relationships – Work In Sports Podcast - a podcast by Brian Clapp - Work in Sports

The bond and connection you form with people you come in contact with is far more important than the number of connections you have. We explain in this edition of the Work In Sports podcast.Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast…So quick story before we get into today's podcast - it will make sense to you as it all comes together but you have to go along for the ride with me for a bit. When I first started in the industry, yes you have all heard me mention it 10,000 times, I was working in the sports broadcast media at CNN/Sports Illustrated. One of the first things I noticed on the job was that there was a division amongst the staff. There was the editorial staff -- producers, anchors, reporters, editors, production assistants And there was the operations staff - camera operators, graphics, directors, audio ops, master control, sub-control etc. These were like two different operations in the same small area. It’s not to say the two groups didn’t get along, but there was a bit of a ...I’m searching for the right word here… disconnect. I was on the editorial side, and I’ll admit, our group had more ego and a feeling of self-importance. We were creators...and you are just executors. Again, it wasn’t a spoken thing, it was just a feeling in the newsroom. It kind of bothered me, but I was so young I had no idea what to do with that ...disconnect. So I started really subtly, maybe even subconsciously, trying to be a bit over the top with my connection to the operations side. I’d spend my day creating the show ...and then as I'd enter the control room to make it all come to life, every day no matter how stressed I was or if there was breaking news  or whatever...I’d enter the control room and boisterously exclaim “hey everybody”And everyone would kind of laugh a bit. It becomes a bit of a joke… where I would be grabbing lunch in the food court and hear someone on the operations staff yell across the room -- “Hey everybody!”I’d hear it everywhere… and we’d all laugh a bit.We are on our 228th episode of this show, and every single one I have started with a simple “Hey everybody” and it’s my subtle reminder to myself, to remember, this whole thing, everything we do in life, is about forging relationships, connections, and bonds with others. Last week I spoke in a class at Arizona State University, and it was a really great session. I have a rough idea of points I want to make in these sessions, but I am so afraid of being and sounding rehearsed, that I always try to let it flow and see where the conversation goes. Well, we got into a subject and discussion on networking and I couldn’t stop thinking about it all weekend. We’ve got this whole thing backward. So many people view networking as a gamified version of their career, where whoever connects with the most amount of people wins the virtual trophy.And, once they make a connection, they view it as a one-way street, or an obligation for that connection to help them. I literally can’t tell you how many people connect with me and immediately ask me to do something for them. And not only do they ask, but they go through chapter and verse about their life, challenges and missteps to I don’t know to provide me context for the advice I’m required to give them?Now, I do it, because that’s my game… I respond and try to give value. BUT, I think this is also a teaching moment to say -- you’re doing it wrong.I want to give you an example, and in fact, I’m going to give my example a name. It’s Gregory Goodman, and I hope I don't embarrass him here by sharing this.  January 10th of this year Gregory messaged me on LinkedIn:Thank you so muchYour podcast tonight was so wonderful! I couldn't have asked for any better adviceThank you, Gregory!Absolutely! I'll be there Thursday night and I'm re-energized to go even that...

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