We are all familiar with this saying but today I did I get a practical reminder of this fact.

Just catching the train to London on a busy platform  three different people came up to say hello within a matter of minutes. All business people or connected to business people and all have access to a lot more people in their networks. It was a very brief conversation as the train approached however it got me thinking.

As we are in the second month of 2016 I have been reviewing goals that individuals set at the start of the year to see how things are going. As a coach I also have my own goals and to achieve the ones that I set both personally and in regards of the business they all require reaching out and connecting with the right people who can help me achieve my goals. When reviewing some of my clients goals the same question emerges who have you connected with since the beginning of the year, who have you asked for help?

Most high performing individuals realise the benefit of building a supportive and useful network and in order to achieve this are normally also keen to put others in touch with people they know who they think could help you. I love realising that two people I know would benefit from having a conversation and over the years one of the most rewarding aspects of my role has been seeing how some of these initial connections that I have initiated have grown into powerful relationships and sometimes powerful business opportunities and solutions.

The step that a lot of people don’t take is making time to strategically review their network in the light of the goals they want to achieve and deliberately take action to make the powerful connections they need to make.

So my action on the train as I type this is to think… Following my chance three conversations on the platform an hour ago are any of those people connected to anyone in organisations that I am trying to reach out too and can I ask for an introduction to another person who may be able to help me.

Anyone who you come into contact with over the next few days have a think whether they might just happen to know someone who can help you with your goals. If in doubt ask, do this frequently so it becomes a habit and a natural skill to add to your personal toolkit. Also when people ask you for similar try and help out it is very rewarding to see some of the results.