The new generation of executives setting the pace in the current US American business environment are introducing their own ideas about the kinds of networking activities they find most efficient. These savvy new business trend-setters ignore the golf courses and traditional power-lunch locales. The clubby quality of business atmosphere for the sort of chummy shoulder-rubbing prioritized by previous generations of business leaders holds less appeal for today’s ultra-efficiency-driven execs. This generation opts instead for networking activities that are more conducive to what they value more—the ability to maintain uninterrupted continuity of multi-tasking in their business activity flow.
Rethinking Business Networking
In times past, young execs followed the seasoned pros to the traditional lunch spots for business bonding through high-powered chatting and liquoring. There was a sense of having time to spend important hours for business social lunching and drinking or golfing and drinking. Replacing these old networking standards are new activities.
The current generation of executives value the highest of a high-efficiency business lifestyle more than did generations before. Activities affording freedom to multi-task are preferred over those that require a commitment of blocks of time for a formal activity that they wouldn’t choose to do on their personal time. The perfect blend for many execs today is found in combining business activities with choices of fun things to do.
Special Entertainment Events
Some out-of-the-box business networking events that are popular with the current business leadership set include music festivals and other entertainment venues that place executives well outside of their everyday work environments. Giving them opportunities to relax, dress down, and have casual conversations about personal interests is at a premium. Such options lend to conversations that lead to unexpected ideas and fresh initiatives. It’s the kind of activity that virtually completely blends work and play for today’s busy executives.
Exercise Activities
A very popular option for active young execs is simply getting in a workout while catching up with business contacts. Inviting prospects or business associates for a stationary cycling class is an increasingly common networking activity. Lunchtime power-walking, outdoor jogging, treadmill sessions, yoga classes or pretty much any activity that invites conversation while working up a sweat is attractive to multi-tasking execs who want to stay on the move today. For more adventurous or higher-energy business counterparts, a climbing gym, a short or medium run, resistance workout, racket ball, archery, aerobics, skiing, or even bungee jumping or zip-lining may be just the thing.
Business Social Retreats
Professional retreats, originally the networking domain of finance execs, is now a popular choice for business socializing across a vast range of industries. All professionals are very busy and pressed for time, but business leaders recognize the necessity of maintaining connections with others. Opportunities to connect in a healthy, refreshing atmosphere for a brief get-away is an ever-appealing high-quality networking alternative.
Cultural Activities
For discerning business execs who wants to be stimulated, but are looking for alternatives to pumping up the heart rate in mid-day, there are numerous popular options in the urban environment. Just a few options include a museum or gallery visit, a live dance performance, an antique show, a tour through a historic building or a unique architectural place of interest, a spectator sports event, or a restaurant that features an authentic cultural or other truly unique experience.
Takeaway
Whether it’s a rigorous heart-pounding workout, or an invigorating casual walk, or a unique gallery or architectural tour, any fun or interesting activity that departs from the typical eating and drinking business meeting or event is recommended as a way to allow business execs to share a different kind of business and personal opportunity together. The bottom line is that modern professionals tend to prefer networking activity that they would choose to do outside of business hours so they can feel as if they’re fully optimizing their time by doing business and engaging in other beneficial activity at the same time.
David Brown is often called a ‘foodie’ by friends and family loves the restaurant industry and fuses that passion with bleeding edge tech to align start-ups to well-established restaurants with the information they need to succeed.
