5 New Takes on Traditional Summer Socializing

Posted on June 1st, 2010 by Keith Ferrazzi

Hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend and took advantage of the opportunity to unofficially welcome the summer.

It’s easy to think of the season as down time when nothing really happens in the professional world - everyone is on vacation, and if they’re not, they’re thinking about when they will be. People assume plans for moving forward should be put on hold until the fall.

Not at all!

Summer activities offer amazing opportunities to get your connections out of their offices and into venues where they are likely to let their guard down and really open up, moving your relationships to a new level.

Consider planning summer events that bring your key contacts together and blend your personal and professional lives. Start an annual picnic or barbecue event.  And who could resist an invitation to the beach or marina?  Think of ways to include your connections in your summer celebrations and see how your relationships heat up along with the weather.

Here are 5 great ideas for summer socializing to get you started:

1.      Host a BBQ in the park with storytelling for the kids so that the adults are free to talk.

2.      Invite a group to attend a baseball game – either minor or major league are great options.  Don't worry about getting one block of seats - just make sure to plan post-game dinner or drinks nearby in advance.

3.      Watch the papers for free museum events, and plan a sushi-and-wine (or other finger foods) picnic afterwards.

4.      Lunch or dinner at an outdoor café can be a quick and easy way to enjoy the sun and some casual conversation.

5.      Does your community offer outdoor concerts or theater? Get a group together and bring a basket of wine and snacks to enjoy during the performance. Let someone else do the work of entertaining for you.

Do you have ideas for relationship-building summer activities? Share!

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6 Responses so far | Have Your Say!

  1. Isn't mixing personal with professional relationships a recipe for corruption.

    Should your relationship with your clients and suppliers be built on the basis of professional merits or participation in a barbecue?

  2. I live in Canmore Alberta in the Rocky Mountains 90 minutes from the city. One way I network is by inviting speakers in our resort town out for a custom experience in the mountains. Bill McKibben came hiking and Darryl Hannah canoeing. A colleague from San Jose cross country skied with me in the back country then sent a referral my way. Even for biz dev with local organizations I'll now ask a prospect to go for a walk rather than meet over coffee as we all seem to want to get out more. Win-win. We build trust and go deeper in a memorable way surrounded by unforgettable scenery.

  3. Great Ideas, Keith. I have an advantage on suggestion # 1: I own a party rental business so I bring a bounce house for the kids whenever getting together with old and new friends. It keeps the kids busy for hours and they're usually snoring in the backseat before they're halfway home (parents appreciate that, believe me.) I tend to line up a few chairs facing the bounce house and conversations inevitably get going.

  4. George W. Randall says:
    June 8, 2010 at 12:53 pm
    Reply

    Keith - great presentation today at AT&T! Thank you for sharing your inspiring message with us.

    We had a church picnic on Memorial Day, and I roasted an 80-pound pig! This audacious plan not only required the formation of TeamPig, but also was very instrumental as a community-forming bonding event. Food is always bonding, but having a showpiece to rally around really helped create a shared experience that furthered our relationships as a church family. Plus it was delicious!

    I'd be interested to learn more about the last sentence in your bio "Ferrazzi's interests also include an examination of the relationship between leadership success and spirituality." Please let me know how/where I can get your thoughts/insights on that topic. Thank you!

  5. Had errors viewing the site in Safari on the Mac, but apart from that loved the post!

  6. Hi Launa - Can I ask what specific errors you had viewing the site? We'd love to know so we can correct them.

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