Networking ~ How To Get Started

I’m sure you’ve all heard the term “networking” but what does it mean? The definition of networking according to Google Dictionary is, “Interact with other people to exchange information and develop contacts”. Some people view networking as “kissing up” and it can be if done incorrectly. To me networking is not kissing up but rather helping others and getting advice from others who have “been there, done that”. You see, believe it or not we learn more from our own experience and other people’s experiences than we ever do by reading something or attending some sort of training. Networking is about developing connections with people and every person you come in contact with is a job interview. If done correctly networking is one of the most powerful tools in one’s career.

So where do you start? This may not be everyone’s cup of tea but I can assure you that pushing yourself outside your comfort zone on this topic will greatly benefit your career.

Let’s take a look at three ways you can start networking today.

Horizontal Networking

Horizontal networking is connecting with your peers. When most people think of networking they think of upward networking. While upward networking is important to your career horizontal networking is something that most people overlook at work. Here are a few things you can do to network with your peers.

• • Be friendly – no one wants to network with someone who is miserable
  • Initiate conversations – Don’t wait for someone to talk to you
  • Ask open ended questions to learn about them
  • Don’t listen to respond but listen for things you may have in common
  • Show genuine interest in the conversation and don’t multitask
  • Help others as much as you can.

Don’t get stuck in your circle. People tend to gravitate towards those they are most similar with. What you don’t know is you have something in common with everyone. That being said if you don’t push yourself outside of your circle of work friends you won’t figure that out.

Cross organization networking

It’s easy to network with your boss because you are interacting with them all the time. To build your network of contacts you will need to reach out to different organizations within your company. A lot of times this gives you a different perspective than your everyday environment. Here is a way I like to do this.

• • Identify an honest weakness of yours
  • Reach out to one of your bosses peers in a different team or site
  • Introduce yourself to them
  • Share what you are struggling with and ask if they have someone on their team who is particularly good at the thing you are struggling with
  • Connect with that person to work on your weakness and gain a contact. Who knows… you may have a strength that they are struggling with too

A couple things happen here. You get to introduce yourself to one of your boss’s peers and get to know them better. This shows that you have the emotional intelligence to identify a weakness and take measures to get better. It also show you are taking your career seriously.

Give back as much as you can

Giving is a crucial element of networking that people often forget. According to the Inc. profile of Ferrazzi, “Successful networking is never about simply getting what you want. It’s about getting what you want and making sure that people who are important to you get what they want, too .”

Rothenberg says that “it’s easy to drop off when you’re not actively in need of something.” But you need to remember that networking is a perpetual give-and-take.

He continues, “You want to be the one people go to when they need something. That means suggesting somebody else for a job when you can, putting them in touch with an acquaintance they should know… You have to give, give, give.”

Entrepreneur and motivational speaker Gary Vaynerchuk’s business and content strategy is… jab, jab, jab, right hook! The jabs are giving. So his theory is to give, give, give before he even asks for anything in return. This builds the relationship through trust and shows that you have their best interest in mind. This also builds the relationship quickly.

In Conclusion:

Like stated above… give, give, give. Always offer to help and you will be known as the person to go to when someone needs help.

Now is the time to push yourself outside your comfort zone!!!

Networking can be really hard if you haven’t done so before but the more you practice the better you will get at it. I promise you if you show a genuine effort to network you will end up putting yourself in a better position in your career.

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Dale