The “Pando Principle”

One of the most frequent complaints I hear from new consultants is, “I don’t have a network!”

…I have found, with VERY few exceptions, that this is patently false. The network of people you interact with on a regular basis is probably immense! As the old saying goes, “No man is an island.” However, it can sometimes take time to coax out of a fledgling consultant the details of who and where their network actually is.

I've started calling this process "The Pando Principle." 

According to Wikipedia; Pando (Latin for "I spread out"), also known as the "Trembling Giant" is a clonal colony of an individual male quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) determined to be a single living organism by identical genetic markers and assumed to have one massive underground root system. The plant is located in the Fremont River Ranger District of the Fishlake National Forest at the western edge of the Colorado Plateau in south-central Utah, United States, around 1 mile (1.6 km) southwest of Fish Lake. Pando occupies 43 hectares (106 acres) and is estimated to weigh collectively 6,000,000 kilograms (6,600 short tons), making it the heaviest known organism. The root system of Pando, at an estimated 80,000 years old, is among the oldest known living organisms.

The Pando system, what appears on the surface to be a massive disconnected forest, is actually a single organism, all interconnected beneath the surface. This system draws a distinct parallel to the lives of most people. On the surface, you may seem disconnected from the thousands of people around you, but underneath, we are simply one vast, interconnected family. 

“But how does that help me?” You may ask…

I’m glad you asked, I’ll tell you how.

Your life system is like a Pando. The server at your favorite local diner, the caddy at your course, your neighbor, the list literally goes on to infinity. (Remember the game "The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon?" ...Probably not unless you grew up in the 90s, but I digress...) However, the point is that we are all interconnected underneath the surface, just like the Pando Forest. We share likes and dislikes, needs, wants and similar human emotions. I'll refrain from quoting Shakespeare's Shylock, but you get the idea.

In other words, the world is jam-packed with people just like you, you just need to get out and identify them… Your network is literally in the billions. Try to wrap your head around that!  

Then go out and find your Pando!

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If you still feel like you need help finding your Pando, feel free to reach out and we can provide an action blueprint!