Networking isn't a part of life, it's life itself! Everything we do is connected to our network. Whether it's asking for help from a neighbor or getting someone to introduce you to a contact, networking is an everyday occurrence.
The fact that networking is a prominent part of our life, however, doesn't necessarily guarantee that we are aware of when we’re doing it. Most of the our normal networking is subconscious, without challenge, offering few repercussions in asking someone for help. After all, networking is essentially the act of getting someone to help you accomplish an objective. When the act of networking is occurring, we seldom realize that we're doing it. It often looks like we're just receiving help from the people we're connected to.
If this is the case, imagine the potential networking can bring to us in accomplishing our goals if we bring it to a conscious level!
It is only when we focus on bringing networking to a level of awareness that we can become strategic. Doing this is actually quite simple; all you must do is set clear and concise goals. This forces us to think about who in our network can help us accomplish our goals.
Becoming a strategic networker does not only include the act of networking but the willingness and ability to set goals. Goals in and of themselves will help motivate us to seek out the individuals who can help us accomplish them. Without them, research suggests that it's much more difficult to remain motivated to network, especially for those individuals who feel uncomfortable doing it.
Once goals are set, the networking activity continues when we reach out to individuals in our network who can actually help. This requires a different competency then goal setting since it calls on our ability to leverage opportunities in our network. The act of asking someone for help can be more complex than we think. It's not just in the act of asking, but also in getting the individual to follow through and truly help us. This is where it gets tricky and requires us to think more strategically about this activity.
At the forefront of this process is our willingness to help as much as we receive. In order to do this, we must be aware of what we offer our network.
Bringing networking to the conscious level and thinking strategically about how we can leverage the resources in our network is critical if we are going to succeed. Setting goals that are easily communicated to the network and getting people involves a strategy that will increase the likelihood of people helping. Developing connection strategies and developing a networking plan is important if we are going to become more effective at networking.
The good news? Networking is a learnable and teachable activity! If we commit to becoming better at it, anything is possible!
The fact that networking is a prominent part of our life, however, doesn't necessarily guarantee that we are aware of when we’re doing it. Most of the our normal networking is subconscious, without challenge, offering few repercussions in asking someone for help. After all, networking is essentially the act of getting someone to help you accomplish an objective. When the act of networking is occurring, we seldom realize that we're doing it. It often looks like we're just receiving help from the people we're connected to.
If this is the case, imagine the potential networking can bring to us in accomplishing our goals if we bring it to a conscious level!
It is only when we focus on bringing networking to a level of awareness that we can become strategic. Doing this is actually quite simple; all you must do is set clear and concise goals. This forces us to think about who in our network can help us accomplish our goals.
Becoming a strategic networker does not only include the act of networking but the willingness and ability to set goals. Goals in and of themselves will help motivate us to seek out the individuals who can help us accomplish them. Without them, research suggests that it's much more difficult to remain motivated to network, especially for those individuals who feel uncomfortable doing it.
Once goals are set, the networking activity continues when we reach out to individuals in our network who can actually help. This requires a different competency then goal setting since it calls on our ability to leverage opportunities in our network. The act of asking someone for help can be more complex than we think. It's not just in the act of asking, but also in getting the individual to follow through and truly help us. This is where it gets tricky and requires us to think more strategically about this activity.
At the forefront of this process is our willingness to help as much as we receive. In order to do this, we must be aware of what we offer our network.
Bringing networking to the conscious level and thinking strategically about how we can leverage the resources in our network is critical if we are going to succeed. Setting goals that are easily communicated to the network and getting people involves a strategy that will increase the likelihood of people helping. Developing connection strategies and developing a networking plan is important if we are going to become more effective at networking.
The good news? Networking is a learnable and teachable activity! If we commit to becoming better at it, anything is possible!
Courtesy of the November 2009 Flownotes
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