What are the benefits of building professional relationships outside of your organization?

Expanding your network: New opportunities: Your network can become a treasure of potential leads, job openings, and collaborations. Diversity : You gain exposure to different industries, companies, and ways of thinking, broadening your own understanding and problem-solving skills. Referrals and recommendations: Strong connections can lead to valuable referrals and recommendations when seeking new opportunities.

A friend of mine was an accountant, and I was a translator. And we both had positions in various companies in two different cities, far from each other. I needed her accounting knowledge, and she sometimes needed me to translate some of her documents. We had a good deal. Actually, we had an accountant in our organization, but he didn't believe in explaining and clarifying things to a translator who is directly involved with numbers, so I really needed a hand. Instead of wasting time and energy asking for information and getting nothing, we made a connection and added members during the time, all professionals in different fields, and progress was fast.

Building professional relationships outside of your organization offers numerous benefits, including an expanded network, access to diverse expertise, opportunities for collaboration, career development, enhanced visibility and reputation, access to industry trends and insights, a professional support system, increased job opportunities, personal growth and enrichment, and community engagement. By investing time and effort in networking and relationship-building activities, you can expand your opportunities, broaden your horizons, and thrive in your professional journey.

One of the easiest ways to make a good connection is LinkedIn. You can choose anyone from anywhere, have access easily and get the answer to your questions fast, and also use the experiences that others share through this platform.

After identifying potential connections that are in the target market audience that I seek to serve, I reach out and clearly state my intentions to simply grow my network and learn more about their unique abilities they bring to their industry. From there, my goal is to open the door to a conversation where I can potentially provide some sort of value be it through a short, informal mentoring conversation or through offering a means to help them connect with others who might be able to assist them with their current struggle. Ultimately, when you leave an initial networking conversation having provided some value to the individual, you have taken a big step towards developing that conversation into a professional relationship.

In networking, creating connections with the mindset of adding value establishes a foundation for mutually beneficial relationships. The principle of "win-win" implies that both parties derive advantages from the connection. By offering support, insights, or resources that contribute positively to others' goals, individuals not only build meaningful connections but also enhance their own opportunities for collaboration and growth. This approach to networking emphasizes the importance of reciprocity, fostering a dynamic where shared value leads to sustained and fruitful relationships in personal and professional spheres.

Knowing lots of different people, especially outside of one's normal circle or organization, brings learning opportunities. There is a perspective you get seeing from someone else's eyes. Don't hesitate to seek out others different from you if you are looking to improve or innovate! Someone else may have done something a new, different way, because they have a different perspective than you.