Darling: What are some networking tips you would like share with others?
Turley: Volunteer and get on
boards. It is where you meet interesting people and you get to
learn how they conduct themselves. Mentoring, networking, and
volunteering lead to business success.
Darling: You have moved around a fair amount. What are some things you did to meet new people?
Turley: When I was in
Minneapolis or St. Louis and attended a black tie event, you would see
pretty much the same people at each such event. When I got to New York,
I realized the population was more diverse and larger. I decided
to attend a black tie whenever I could - which was nearly every
night in the beginning. I needed to be visible and meet the various
people in each community and build a new network.
Darling: We met at a reception
for women entrepreneurs at the Ernst & Young Awards in Palm
Springs. How has the women's initiative at E&Y helped business?
Turley: When we first announced the initiative, I was waiting for some backlash among the men. Why don't they get something similar.
One evening there was a knock at my door and a
young man said he wanted to talk to me. He said he thought the
initiative was unfair to men.
I pointed out that he felt comfortable stopping
by my office to talk - even without an appointment. I explained that
while he and I might not understand it, women don't feel they can do
that. Instead they leave the company.
We're finding the initiative helps us to retain top talent.
Darling: Do you find value with "internal networking" and getting to know E&Y employees.
Turley: Absolutely. One of my
biggest jobs is to connect with people within the firm. I'm
inquisitive. One important aspect of networking is being able to ask
good questions. I'm not great at names or faces so I do some
preparation whenever I visit one of our offices.
Darling: Can I tell you my accountant joke?
Turley: Sure!
Darling: How can you tell an accountant is an extrovert? . . . He's looking at your shoes!
Turley: BIG laugh!
Darling: Do you have any networking pet peeves?
Turley: It's frustrating when
someone says they want my time for a specific reason and then when we
meet they want something else. For example, if someone approaches me to
talk about the industry, but they really want a job. If they were
honest in the first place, I'd be happy to connect them to recruiting -
it's just not what I do here.
Darling: Why is it that accountant's aren't known for their people skills - much less networking skills?
Turley: It's simple. The worst day for an accountant is to not know the answer.
In networking, there is the strong possibility of
uncertainty. It is uncomfortable. For some - it is just easier to avoid
the situation completely.
Accounting isn't fuzzy. People skills are fuzzy
so those who are drawn to accounting are wired in a different way.
Typically we can learn, it just takes some time and energy.
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Stay tuned for more!
If there is someone you think I should speak to and you are able to make an introduction, send an email to: Diane@EffectiveNetworking.com
Enjoy! Best regards, Diane | 
