I once thought I was an expert on networking and relationship-building. But then, all of a sudden, my trust was destroyed. I was instructing sophomore business students at New York University who were organizational communication majors at that time. They gain knowledge of tactical strategies for efficient communication. The single underlying message I took away from the semester was that all of your communication endeavors must have a purpose. This was true despite the fact that a variety of topics were covered, from the understanding of audience psychology to the creation and writing of presentations. Without a goal of communication, I tell my pupils, "you are wasting your time and patience sitting here listening to me." Every time I had the chance, I would reiterate that message.