Contacts and friends as resources

How can you make best use of your contacts?

• Networking - who do your contacts know who could help you?
• Do they know someone who, in turn, knows the key person?
• Who else do they know who might have the information you want?
• Where have they worked in the past that could be useful to you?
• What do they know that could be of use to you?
• What experience have they had with your issue?
• How have they approached similar issues?

Making use of contacts

• A sounding board - brainstorming options you have not pursued.
• To gain perspective on something you're too close to.
• Feedback - do they see strengths you cannot see?
• Moral support - talking issues through with a supportive contact.
• To share feelings - we sometimes think no one else feels like us.
• Influence - who can they influence for you?
• Making better decisions - getting a second opinion.