Indian yogi and guru Paramahansa Yogananda once said:
“There is a magnet in your heart that will attract true friends. That magnet is unselfishness, thinking of others first; when you learn to live for others, they will live for you.”
This quote illustrates the type of friendship that can and should flourish in BNI. One that is borne out unselfishness and giving. A friendship that will lead to business benefits as well as personal enrichment.
BNI chapters that have been established for a number of years may have members that have known each other for quite some time. It is only natural that over time, seeing people on a weekly basis will lead to conversations not just about people’s businesses but also about their families and personal lives. Beyond this, there is a social element to BNI which can foster deep relationships.
BNI Event Coordinators help organise events on a semi-regular basis throughout the year. These people, perhaps every month or every six months, put together some sort of social event. It may be nothing more elaborate than a drinks evening or it could be something more involved like attending an event or putting on a fundraiser for a charity like hospice. Whatever the event, it is an opportunity for members to get to know each other outside of the more formal structured setting of the weekly meeting.
Obviously getting to know people better in more informal circumstances, leads to stronger friendships. This in turn flows into the cycle of building trust and developing stronger relationships within a chapter as you understand better who people are. There are many examples of these types of informal events that BNI chapters all over the country have organised – some of which are both social and charitable in nature.
Two of these types of events that come to mind are the cycling weekend that BNI Larnach organised raising $3500 for Otago Community Hospice and the raffle that BNI Cambridge set up that brought in over $22,000 for Hospice Waikato. These events have benefits both socially as members get to know each other better and for the wider community as money is raised to support worthy causes.
Friendship is an important part of BNI and I encourage members to enjoy this side of the organisation. The benefits are many when you unselfishly keep yourself open to new relationships and new opportunities.
