Tonight I was reading some blogs from our 4407 Instructional Tools blog mates.  I couldn't help but think about networking and a PLN.

While working at my previous job in banking, we developed a new tool for R&D.  Back then technology was computer that had DOS and Word Star for word processing and that was COOL but they only ran banking programs and a bit of what we called word processing back then.  Technology was not yet advanced enough to be cost effective or efficient as far as networking.
The project was called "Street Walker".  Back then we could have a sense of humor and the phrase  "politically correct" was not yet "politically correct".

The Street Walker program was a very good tool for building business and building connections.  The person selected such as a Commercial Loan Officer,  New Accounts Representative, or Consumer Loan Officer would go out to other businesses each week.  They would go to at least 1 new entity each day, and on their way stop at businesses, even other financial institutions, to make a connection.  You would go out and visit the entity.  You would ask them if they liked their bank, if so, why, what did they not like, why they did business with them, if they needed anything that their bank did not offer.  If you stopped at another bank you would talk to them about their products, you would see what they offered, see if they had customers that may need a product they did not offer, you would compare products.  Many times when you revisited them you would just see how things were going and you made a working relationship.  Not to be in direct competition but to learn about them.  To see what they had to offer, to see if you could perhaps refer customers to each other, or even to just let them know that you were there.  If nothing else, to be a name that they were familiar with and could relate to.

The "Street Walker" program was a huge hit.  It increased our visibility and our volume.  It was nice to have a network that was so connected.  When I look at the technology tools, I think of the "Street Walker" program and my PLN back then.  I didn't realize it but I had a great PLN.  I had connections and I developed new outreach programs such as going out to the high schools with checkbooks and teaching high schools students how to budget their funds.  I would give each student a checkbook and savings ledger with an amount already in the starting balance.  Then I would have them draw a "life scenario" out of a bowl (Very high tech?) and they would have to go with that scenario for that week.  They could have had an accident and needed to use their savings and didn't get a paid, they could have received a promotion, or they could have had a child or bought a home.  It was good for them to see that many of life's events are not planned for and could happen to anyone.  It was a great tool.

I look at my current PLN and although things have changed immensely since then, we still need to create that network of connections and tools. Things have changed but then again, the basics are the same.  We now have a more advanced PLN but we always had one.

techtooljule
#techhrd