What type of interpersonal connections does Judaism value? What strategies do we have for creating these connections? How can these interpersonal connections help us move forward in our careers?
Esther 2:21-23
“Mordecai was sitting in the palace gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the threshold, became angry, and plotted to do away with King Ahasuerus.
Mordecai learned of it and told it to Queen Esther, and Esther reported it to the king in Mordecai’s name. The matter was investigated and found to be so, and the two were impaled on stakes. This was recorded in the book of annals at the insistence of the king.”
Where is Mordecai during this section? Is this intentional? What actions does he do and what happens to him? How does the king hear about him?
Esther 5:9
That day Haman went out happy and lighthearted. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the palace gate, and Mordecai did not rise or even stir on his account, Haman was filled with rage at him.
Again, where is Mordecai in this story? Is it always good to draw the attention of those in higher positions of power? What can you do to avoid being seen in a negative light if you are determined to be seen by them? What is the difference between loitering and making yourself seen?
Esther 8:1-2
King Ahasuerus gave the property of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther. Mordecai presented himself to the king, for Esther had revealed how he was related to her. The king slipped off his ring, which he had taken back from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; and Esther put Mordecai in charge of Haman’s property.
Who are the characters in this section? There are a lot of actions in this story - how have these people set themselves up for this situation?
In the book The Tipping Point, author Malcolm Gladwell talks about three different archetypes of people: mavens, connectors, and salespeople.
Mavens make change happen through information and ideas. These are the people you ask whenever you want to know something about anything — they’re always the people in the know. They’re builders, engineers, process folks, and system folks. It’s all about the ideas and the information.
Connectors make change happen through people. They galvanize people. They’re natural hubs. That’s just the way they’re oriented to the world. These are people who, every time you ask a question, start flipping a Rolodex in the back of their mind, saying, “Who do I know who knows this? Who do I know who has done this? Who do I know that I need to connect you with?” They love connecting you with people, because they’re all about the people.
Salespeople make change happen through persuasion. They can take an idea, make it sticky and accessible, and position it to get a tribe behind it. Salespeople are your storytellers and masters of persuasion. These are the people who can borrow your watch and then sell it back to you. They just have this uncanny ability to get you to buy into whatever they’re selling, whether it’s an idea, a plan, or a product — it doesn’t matter.
Who in the Purim story is a Maven? A Connector? A Salesperson? Does this work to their advantage - if so, how do they make it work towards their advantage?
Who are you? (Why) is it important to know what type of person you are while networking?