Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
U.S. President Barack Obama extends his hand to Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting at the United Nations General Assembly in New York September 28, 2015.
Maybe the following is familiar: You arrive at a networking cocktail hour in hopes of meeting some cool people relevant to your career. You grab a drink and stand off to the corner, scanning the room but recognize no one.
After a few moments of sipping your drink, you decide to introduce yourself to the guy next to you and you each take turns talking about your jobs. One of you says you're heading to the bathroom and soon you're back by yourself in the corner.
You'll never be able to completely avoid awkward social situations, but you can definitely start reducing them by adopting some new techniques.
Influencers founder Jon Levy was able to overcome a natural tendency toward being shy to becoming the head of an eclectic network of professionals that includes Nobel laureates, Grammy-winning musicians, and Olympic medalists. He runs TED Talk-like "salons" and dinner parties at his Manhattan apartment with the intention of connection interesting people who otherwise never would have met.
Here are some of Levy's top tips for building better relationships by avoiding cringe-worthy moments.