How can you improve your project outcomes and reputation through your network?

1 Identify your network goals

Before you start reaching out to your network, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve. Do you want to learn new skills, find mentors, get referrals, or expand your horizons? Depending on your goals, you will need to target different types of people and use different strategies to connect with them. For example, if you want to learn new skills, you might look for online courses, webinars, podcasts, or blogs that feature experts in your field. If you want to find mentors, you might seek out senior project leaders who have experience and insights that you can benefit from. If you want to get referrals, you might focus on building trust and rapport with your current and past clients, colleagues, and stakeholders.

2 Nurture your network relationships

Once you have identified your network goals and the people who can help you achieve them, you need to nurture your network relationships. This means staying in touch, providing value, and showing appreciation. You can stay in touch by sending regular updates, sharing relevant information, asking questions, or offering help. You can provide value by sharing your expertise, giving feedback, making introductions, or endorsing their skills. You can show appreciation by thanking them, recognizing their achievements, or sending gifts or cards. By nurturing your network relationships, you will not only strengthen your bonds, but also increase your chances of getting referrals, recommendations, and testimonials.

3 Seek feedback from your network

One of the best ways to improve your project outcomes and reputation is to seek feedback from your network. Feedback can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, learn from your mistakes, and improve your performance and skills. You can seek feedback from your network by asking for their opinions, suggestions, or ratings on your project deliverables, processes, or communication. You can also ask for feedback on your personal or professional development, such as your goals, challenges, or achievements. When seeking feedback from your network, you should be open-minded, respectful, and grateful. You should also act on the feedback and show how you have implemented it in your future projects.

4 Share your project outcomes and reputation with your network

Another way to leverage your network to improve your project outcomes and reputation is to share your project results and achievements with your network. Sharing your project outcomes and reputation can help you showcase your value, demonstrate your impact, and attract new opportunities. You can share your project outcomes and reputation with your network by creating case studies, testimonials, or portfolios that highlight your project objectives, challenges, solutions, and results. You can also share your project outcomes and reputation by publishing articles, blogs, or podcasts that showcase your expertise, insights, or lessons learned. By sharing your project outcomes and reputation with your network, you will not only increase your visibility and credibility, but also inspire and motivate others to learn from you.

5 Expand your network strategically

Finally, you can leverage your network to improve your project outcomes and reputation by expanding your network strategically. Expanding your network strategically means finding and connecting with new people who can add value to your project leadership journey, such as potential clients, partners, collaborators, or mentors. You can expand your network strategically by attending events, joining communities, or participating in discussions that are relevant to your field, industry, or interests. You can also expand your network strategically by asking for introductions, referrals, or recommendations from your existing network contacts. By expanding your network strategically, you will not only diversify your perspectives and resources, but also create new possibilities and opportunities for your project leadership growth.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?