Make Networking Easy--Or at Least Less Dreadful

"I hate having to have surface-level conversations with people who I will probably forget for the sole purpose of trying to take advantage of the relationship for personal benefit."  From Taking the Work out of Networking

I am so sorry if that's how you think of networking. I hope I can offer you a new perspective. I rely on two books to help my clients begin thoughtful networking:

Friend of a Friend of a Friend... by David Burkus and Taking the Work out of Networking by  Karen Wickre

I've pulled my favorite takeaways from these books to create a condensed “Networking 101” primer. If you want more after reading this blog, please buy the books, they are really good.

Networking 101

Would you hesitate to ask questions of others in your field and or connecting two friends because they have something in common? Of course not, you already do this everyday. That is networking the way I want to do it.

Approach networking as a great way to advance your professional knowledge and help friends meet great people. Here are the skills you'll need:

1. Listen well

2. Observe

3. Be curious

4. Make connections for others

You've done well to this point in your life. You’ve succeeded at school, performed at work, and along the way you’ve learned to ask questions and for help. Networking is no different. When you network, you simply reach out to folks with genuine questions or with points in common. They could be professionals in adjacent fields, alumni that have pursued an interesting path, a neighbor who wants to talk to someone you know. Unleash your curiosity (that's fun) and help others make vital connections. (That's fun too.)

Start Here:

1. Old dormant connections including alumni from your schools, the folks you used to work with, your old neighbors.

2. Loose personal connections such as folks you go to church with, the parents you stand next to while your kids play soccer, the guys you see at the gym.

3. Professional peers. Note names of presenters at conferences, deliberately seek out business cards at meetings, trade associations, join Linkedin groups.

4. Reach beyond your silo to groups or professions that only lightly intersect yours. If you're a social media expert, you might want to connect with someone in data science.

How to Get Started:

"Think about how you would approach a potential friend. Find something you have in common, keep it light, make a joke, and above all, show them you care."  Sourav Day

When do I start?

Start before you need to, otherwise networking becomes transactional and that’s yucky.

Connect or reach out a little bit every day. 

In the beginning, focus on what you can give others:

1. Compliment them on a well written article

2. An offer to make an introduction 

3. Offer to write a Linkedin recommendation

4. Ask someone to help you review a paper or bounce an idea off of them

What Counts as a Connection?

You can build a relationship entirely over email, as long as it is sincere. You can move to phone check-ins and if it is convenient, go for coffee. The goal of these interactions is a friendly check-in to foster “Curiosity Conversations”.

What's the Payoff?

You will expand your community to foster new opportunities, collect new insights, and help others. Do you need more than that?