THE NETWORKING PROBLEM AMONG WOMEN

Are women their own worst enemies? This is a question that many have posed and nodded to when asked. I am not here to agree or disagree with this but to put a point across. Recently, I went out dancing with a bunch of my girls. It was one of those nights where we happened to meet at a cosy joint that had some good live band on stage. In our company, were two guys, a black and a white guy. As we danced and made merry, I noticed that the two guys were engaged in serious conversation and I was curious to find out what it was that they were so engrossed in. I mean, it is night, the band is entertaining and they are in the company of 3 beautiful ladies, just what serious conversation would take place in such a setting? It should be noted that the two men had never met before, it so happened that they were dating my two friends who knew each other.

I had to ask what they were talking about so I took my curious self to where they were seated. They were discussing business and prospective money-generating activities that they can engage in in Kenya. You should have seen them talk, they looked like they had known each other for a long time. I looked around the club. Most of the women were gyratting on the dancing floor, moving their hips in provocative ways as they seduced their men, most of whom were left seated on the table, sipping their drinks. A few laps around the club made me realize that men were talking, occassionally lifting their heads to glance in the direction of their wome, who would in turn move suggestively and "vibrate" more.

As I sat down with my "girls" after a dancing session, one of them observed that women would never be equal to men in the economic world because men have a strong powerful weapon that most women do not possess. MEN SEIZE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO NETWORK. I started to disagree, but I had to hold my tongue when I noticed that the men we were seated with had already exchanged contacts with four other men seated on a different table. What about the women in the club? Oh, we danced and eyed each others dress and commented on the shoes that "that girl seated on that table was wearing" or the way "that girl was dressed in a short dress which did not flatter her body shape." Did I forget to mention that we were on the look-out for that woman who would dare come near "my man"?

So, are women really their own worst enemies? Do we seize opportunities to network and build business relations? Or do we size each other and refrain from making important contacts just because we are women?

That was an important lesson on that day. Business relations can be formed anywhere, at any time. Be it in a nightclub, in a salon during manicures, or in the toilet taking a leak. Have you ever considered that the person seated next to you in a salon might be a C.E.O of a company and may offer you an internship/job? Or do you stare at her hairdo and silently pray that the relaxer burns her scalp?

I do not believe that women are jealous of each other, I just think that we pass up many opportunities to network and be great. No wonder, there are very few women leaders in the corporate world as compared to men.

Picture courtesy: Source.