This weekend I happened to run into an old friend of mine. I hadn't seen him in several months. When I last spoke to him he'd just landed a new job, a job I'd helped him land by connecting him with someone I knew whose company was looking for a Director of Sales. He told me his new job was going very well, taking him on business tips to a growing list of territories into which his company was expanding.

I was truly delighted to see a connection I'd made between two people turned out to be such a success. Both this man and the company he is working for are better off today because of this one simple introduction. Both came out ahead. Both profited by it.

Their profit is my return on my networking investment. Now to be sure my friend and this job opening may have found each other some other way, but my connecting the two saved both parties time, which is a valuable commodity. Both my friend and his company view my network of contacts as a valuable resource.

I view them in much the same way. If I ever am in need of something hard to find such as a reliable and highly qualified home remodeler or an accountant, or even a job opening for a friend who just got laid off, my network is my most valuable tool.

With a few phone calls I can usually get leads on a dozen or more possible solutions to whatever problem needs solving. A broad and strong network saves tremendous time and energy. Getting to a solution earlier means not only realizing the benefits of the solution sooner, but it also frees up time to solve other problems, to accomplish more.

Or, said another way, your networking investment will pay you dividends in that most precious commodity of all, time.