On Alliance Schlumberger

You have probably attended a series of networking events at which you exchanged business cards, set up appointments, received informal job offerings, or had a friendly chat with your competitors. These meetings are usually very fruitful and some are quite enjoyable, but let’s not kid ourselves; they are mostly work!

What if you had access to networking meetings with your supervisors and colleagues at which you didn’t have to worry about how you were perceived, and where you could freely express your feelings, enjoy a good glass of wine or two, share your impressions with others who really understand you, and have a great dinner? In short, a networking meeting where you could really enjoy yourself? What if this sort of gathering took place in locations you had never visited before and included—for those who were up to it—a friendly round of golf?

This is what the Alliance Schlumberger is all about. Members are your former bosses, colleagues and subordinates. The key word here is “former”; the BIG difference is that they are all “ex-”. Some are retired and enjoy a relaxed lifestyle, others work for a different company, and many have their own business, but they share a common trait: all are over 50 and worked at Schlumberger for at least five years. That’s it! In fact, here is the exact wording from the Alliance website: “Membership of Alliance Schlumberger is open to all former field engineers, aged 50 or more, with a seniority of 5 years or more, of all companies in the Schlumberger group. Membership is subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.” Ah, yes, I forgot to mention something important: membership is free.

There are very nicely organized meetings in places as diverse as England (the most recent one), Germany, France, Indonesia, Spain, and so on, and the board is looking at Portugal, India, New Zealand and other such fantastic places for future meetings.  You can sign up at no cost, receive news periodically and have the ability to get in touch with people you haven’t heard from in several years. So how about it? If you qualify, join us!

Talk to people, join interest groups, see your friends, get closer to the people you care about and to those who care about you. Reach out to them. As Ms. Susan Pinker (well-recognized psychologist and author) says in a recent TED talk that I suggest you watch, “those interactions are one of the strongest predictors of how long you'll live.” Alliance Schlumberger is but one great example of how you can reinforce this significant aspect of your life. I look forward to seeing you there!