Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time

The authors narrow down the essential desires of someone seeking connections. “Connecting is a philosophy of life, a worldview” (174). Ferrazzi and Raz claim that the deepest emotional bonds that individuals can have are connected to health, wealth, and children. As a connector, the intentional and sincere concern for other peoples’ health, wealth, and children will make building relationships meaningful and easy. To create a genuine and loyal emotional bond with people, one needs to commit to helping others in these three pursuits of life. “You start with the philosophy, the world-view, that every human is an opportunity to help and be helped” (182).

In this chapter’s Connector Hall of Fame, the authors focus on Adam Grant, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. The reference to Grant underlines the importance of giving in business. The most successful people, according to Grant, are those who strategically give, keeping both others’ well-being and their own self-interest in mind. One of Grant’s is planned giving: scheduled periods of time when someone helps others. This frees up time for other productive activities and provides people with a sense of gratification for completing a task. Grant provides the basis for three “crib notes” for purposeful giving: support people who support others, take care of your network first, and make giving a scheduling priority.