Networking

Networking is just a posh sounding name for making friends. Seriously very simply put the more friends you have the easier your life will be. In a professional context Networking is a key ingredient in being successful either in your own business or when working in corporate.

I understand that not everyone is outgoing in nature and some find networking to be a chore. Nothing that you consider a chore is ever going to be enjoyable so let's try to change your perspective on it. If you find it 'work' to get out there and meet people and to stay in touch and involved in peoples lives then make a game of it - see how many people you can connect with in a month, how many people you can reach out to in a week, come up with a method that will make this not a chore.

Ideally as you connect with more and more people you find that being connected and being genuinely interested and helpful to people is something that you enjoy. Whatever you do please do not even feign interest in people. Either be interested or not. If you are not genuine about your interest in people then they will see right through you.

Where are you going to network?

Everywhere. Really everywhere. Specially if you are the shy type - put a smile (no not a scary creepy fake grin) on your face and say hello to the next stranger you meet. If you meet this person a couple of times (say a fellow commuter, someone who takes the elevator at the same time you do, postman) and you say hello, strike up a conversation.

When should you network? 

The best time to build a network is when everything is going well. When you do not need anyone's help, this is the time to build a network. Another good time to build a network is - well pretty much ANYTIME! Yes if you are alive, and there is another person within communication range then yup guess what - network. To provide a little more structure than that - when you start a new job set yourself a goal I will get to know X people in X days - be it 100 people in 100 days or 100 people in the first year or whatever that goal is understand this is just a guideline to encourage you to reach out and connect to those who surround you. Knowing the guy in the mail room and the lady who cleans the office WILL come in handy one day. Trust me!

Tools 

There are many networking tools available. Starting with something as simple as a notebook where you can have a page per contact and write down name, phone, cell phone and other contact info as well as other information relevant to the person and the context that you know the person in. You can take a step up from a notebook into something like a spreadsheet, or even outlook but in the end you are still storing the same info but making it easier to sort and find the data. The data is still mostly static.

The next step up is a web based social networking tool such as www.LinkedIn.com or www.facebook.com . These tools allow you to link with folks and stay linked and have access to current and update information from these people as they progress in their careers and lives. There are many such tools on line, LinkedIn is the premier business networking tool and has a couple of very useful features. Primarily LinkedIn allows people that you have worked with to leave recommendations for you, it also allows a method for you to speak to a broad audience (not just to the people that you know) about you and your skill set. Remember that LinkedIn is a professional network and keep the content appropriate to that context. In other words talk about work and your professional life on LinkedIn.

Facebook is more of a friends and family networking tool, however you must be careful about the information you post here, because people you know from a professional context might see the content you publish. So subscribe to the advice that says if you do not wish for something to show up on the front page of your local Newspaper then do not publish it anywhere on the internet. Nothing is truly private on the internet. However, having said that Facebook allows you to provide some dimensionality to who you are, you are not just Joe from the 3 rd cube in from the water cooler who knows Excel real well, you could be funny Joe who likes to go wind surfing and has 2 lovely children.

Things Remembered 

The more you can remember about someone the better it is. But at the very least you have to remember a person's name. When people say I am not good with names - they are really saying - I am so lazy I cannot be bothered. I mean what are you going to say I am great at names but I cannot remember your face? Listen there are many articles on the internet on how to remember things including names - learn some of those methods and practice. But for me the simplest method for remembering someone is just to care enough about them. If you care, you will remember! Once you get the name thing down, expand, remember how many kids they have, married/looking? What are they really into? Photography? Knitting? Where did they last go on vacation? What did you last speak to them about. The more you remember about a person the better your connection to that person will be.

Conversation 

A successful conversation will allow you to introduce yourself to the person but more importantly to allow the other person to talk to you and tell you about them. Listening to someone is the ultimate courtesy and in today's rushed lives people are starved for someone to listen to them. So if you can just get them going you will learn a lot about them, what their passions are and how they can be helpful to you and more importantly how you can be helpful to them.

Being Helpful 

You have to be helpful to the people in your network. A strong network is built and maintained and nurtured by favors. The help you give to others. The more trouble you take to be useful to your friends/contacts the stronger your network gets.

Make it Easy 

It is easier to connect with people you have something in common with - but you have something in common with almost everyone you meet. You meet people that work in the same building, or have kids going to the same school or play the same sport, or walk the same street or take the same bus. The key is to find that thing that is common and then to strike up a conversation about that topic. Why do you think everyone talks about the weather? Because it is common AND because it can in no way offend anyone – except maybe winter.

It is also easier to connect with people who are interesting, next time you see someone you wish you knew, say hello! What is the worst that can happen? They ignore you? How terrible is that? Will that set you back financially; will the whole world laugh at you? Really?

It is also easier to connect with people IF you are interesting, attractive and useful. Yes we all knew it’s good to be beautiful but even if you are not Ms or Mr America you can make yourself someone people want to get to know by making yourself useful to the people that do know you.

Ways of keeping in touch 

Sending everyone you know a mass email every month is NOT a good way to stay in touch. It is important to keep these contacts fresh and personal. It is probably not convenient to try to meet everyone on a weekly basis or even monthly basis but you should attempt to touch each of your contacts on a fairly regular and at the very least a semi-annual basis.

A great way to do this is to know the birthdays for everyone and drop them a quick email on their birthday. Or another is to send a useful article you might have come across or a holiday greeting with a personal note. Try your best to keep track of what is going on in the lives of your contacts.

Try to have lunch or coffee with a couple of contacts every week. Connect with a handful of contacts every month. Do not make it a chore ry to develop a healthy interest in people. Even if you brown bag your lunch there is nothing to stop you from having lunch with a colleague or to stop you from getting a cup of coffee or if you smoke there's a great opportunity to get something positive done while you kill yourself slowly.

Become a Hub 

Play matchmaker try to introduce people in your network that might be able to help each other, someone looking for a job with someone looking to hire. Someone who needs advice on a topic with someone who is an expert on the topic. Become a hub. Understand that your network connects to other people’s networks and that we are all a part of one large network that connects the whole human race. However, in every network there are certain connection points that are busier than others that are more connected. These are hubs. These are the people that you feel, know everybody - the do not but it feels like this. The key to being a hub is to match the needs and resources of your network to help the folks in your network and to actively try to help the folks in your network. 

Wrap up 

In case you are still wondering who you should network with - the answer is simple - Everyone. Where should you network - Everywhere. When should you network - All the time.

Because you do not know who, when or where you will meet the person that will turn out to be your next best friend, your next boss and who knows your next spouse!

Be friendly!