Do You Really Need Connections Before You Can Reach the Powerful People You Need?
- Vicent Nemeyimana
- April 29, 2017
- Motivation and Inspiration
 |
| You don’t always need connections to reach powerful people |
You don’t need connections to reach everybody who is powerful! Sometimes you just gonna do it crazily. And you know what! It works. That is how I got a job!
Ugandans, not only Ugandans by the way, have grown up with the mindset that you need powerful connections to access powerful people, and I think that is a bad idea.
Up to now, there are people who cannot go to Mulago hospital before they know a nurse or a doctor on personal basis who will help them. Yes, there are people who won’t go to the police unless they have a relative there who will help them. Most people cannot bother looking for jobs; all they ever know is that jobs can be got if someone connected you!
That is bad! I mean, very bad.
Why the belief in Connections is a bad idea!
Our belief in connections corrupts the ‘powerful’ people we seek. Powerful people start to unconsciously listen and attend to only those who seek their help through connections . And so they can actually help you or not help you depending on how close that connector is to them.
However, amidst this, there is light! These powerful people take you special and serious if you approach them directly; most of the times they listen. In a world with so much competition, acting in unusual way always helps. If all seekers do so through connections, you automatically look unique when you directly seek, not through connections.
Yes, you surprise them and kick the hell of old fashion out of them, and, oh how unusual you become! And believe me, no powerful man (few idiots can) shall push away a daring person to that extent, not even Jesus could push away any!
What am I saying?
The 6-people social principle for Connections to powerful people
There is this social principle that between you and the powerful person you long to meet are only 6 people blocking you. The same principle says that if your social capital is strong enough, then it is possible for you to reach that powerful person exactly through the six people between you and him. But I always ask;
What if, actually, there is no one between you and that powerful person? Have you ever given it a thought?
If you wake up in the morning and you want a job with Mulago National Hospital, just pack yourself and go straight to the director. Of course, he may have (actually shall have to) ask you to write an application and give it to the right people in human resource department and even wait for interviews like anyone else but believe me, you won’t be like anybody else!
If you wake up and you wanna meet the minister for education, just dress up and bombard her office at the ministry of education building. And when you reach there, be straight; I wanna meet the minister, the issue is personal. Done! You shall be ushered in immediately or be put on an appointment.
For God’s sake, your question should not be; who is there to connect me? But it should be; How can I connect myself to him? These two questions are totally different.
The first one focuses your knowledge and search to finding someone other than YOUR guy in particular while the second one is seriously about you and that guy!
And you know what! It works.
Yes, I sense greatness, power, some kind of urgency and faith in a person who approaches me from nowhere and wants my help. Actually, I usually attend to those ones more often and diligently more than I do with these who are reaching me through my friends, work-mates or even parents; that is manipulation (of course, it is not always manipulation)!
Each one of us has ever needed connections and we have used them to something. However, it should not be a habit! Besides, most times, you even don’t know who to connect you to the office or person you need. In these cases, be brave!
Can you believe that someone is still seated at home waiting for someone to connect him to a job? (We will come back to this soon). There is a simple formula to get a job; LOOK FOR IT!
E-book: How to get your first job
Take home on Connections to Powerful People
Lumba (invade; I am not sure of the spelling of ‘Lumba’). Yes, don’t wait for connections; connect yourself
Maybe you need a job or you admire working in a certain company, ‘lumba’ (invade the company). Maybe you have been robbed and you need police’s help, lumba. Maybe you are sick or have someone in the hospital and you need some kind of attention, just lumba the right person. Maybe you have an idea and you want a minister somewhere to look into it, lumba that minister.
Yes, always make the first and bold steps. Those special connectors you need shall come or be found along the way. Later, we shall look at: 1. How to win the attention of big people to yourself? 2. And also, how to overcome mean secretaries to your desired powerful MAN in the office?
God bless you
Has this article inspired you? Then share it with all your other friends on social media so they get helped too. Use the social media icons here and make a day for someone too. Thank you so much.
Keep it Miklah
