A 2020 Vision for Learning to NetWorkWise: Get Your Networking Goals in Order

This article is part of the A 2020 Vision for Learning to NetWorkWise blog series.

At the start of a new year many people resolve to eat better, exercise more, or maybe look for a new job. But here’s a resolution that often gets overlooked: setting networking goals.

Have you thought about doing this? Not many do. But maybe you’re looking to meet and take on new clients this year, or you truly understand the benefits of having healthy relationships. When you establish and work toward meeting your networking objectives you’ll improve and strengthen your spheres of influence, and bring your connections to a new level. No construction ever starts until a blueprint is drawn up, and it’s the same for creating the foundation for a robust network.

When you develop a strong network, you form a personal support system. Did you actually resolve to adopt a better diet and get to the gym more? If you’ve fostered solid relationships, I’ll bet you can name someone immediately who will jump on board with you. Considering a career move? Your contacts may very well help you gain access to the hidden job market.

When you take the time to assess your specific goals and get them in order, you’ll be in a better position to fully focus on them. Having a plan in place keeps you on track with your progress. But before you start setting your actual goals, here’s a few things to keep in mind:

Be specific. We all say things like, “Wow, I haven’t spoken to Louie in a while, I should give him a call.” You think about him for a bit, then move on to something else. What usually happens? If you’re like most people, Louie goes to the back of your mind, where he unfortunately remains—and you miss out on the potential to reconnect with him—and any opportunities that could’ve come from it. The key is to indicate a precise action. For instance, instead of “I should give him a call” you should say, “I’ll call him tomorrow afternoon.” And then hold yourself accountable for doing it.

Be realistic. Don’t make promises (including to yourself) that you can’t keep. Establishing unattainable goals is setting yourself up for failure before you even begin. If you want to reach out to a certain amount of people on LinkedIn, don’t choose an outrageous number to strive for. Or maybe you’re interested in meeting individuals through volunteering; don’t sign up for more charity work than your calendar can handle.

Write it down. Make a list and notes of what you’re looking to accomplish.Keep track of your goals and even change them if you need to. Remember how you said you’d call Louie tomorrow afternoon? Put a specific time in your calendar and then do it! As David Kohl, professor emeritus at Virginia Tech found through his research: “People who regularly write down their goals earn nine times more over the course of their lifetime than people who don’t.”

Nine times! That says a lot.

So, taking the time to evaluate your own networking goals and then putting them in writing is a small task—which can lead to really big things.

But you need to go beyond “I want to meet new people this year” and dig down and be detailed. To keep your goals attainable and manageable, think of them in different segments, for instance:

Yearly

• Join and participate in 1 networking group or association this year that coincides with your interests and objectives
• Promise to perform The 30-Day Gratitude Challenge and pick a specific date and time to begin

Quarterly

• Attend 1 networking event per quarter, which can be a formal gathering, or maybe a happy hour with colleagues, or sign up for a breakfast or lunch meeting featuring an influential speaker
• Read 1 book focused on networking, for instance Friend of a Friend by David Burkus or Atomic Habits by James Clear
• Take 1 training course dedicated to enhancing your relationship-building skills, such as learning to maximize your time at a networking event with our Conference/Event Playbook or find out how to get a job through your network by signing up for Careers Through Connections

Monthly

• Invite and meet with 2 people per month and make a connection over coffee, which can be done in-person or even virtually
• Volunteer your time at a local charity or community-driven gathering
• Be a connector and introduce 2 people who you know will benefit from meeting each other

Weekly

• Make 5 meaningful connections a week, which can be through LinkedIn, or make a point to meet your new neighbor, or perhaps get to know your coffee barista better (they’re most likely a super-connector!)
• Reconnect with 2 people that you haven’t communicated with in years and you consider a dormant tie
• Nurture the connections you already have by sending a text or email message to 2 people each week just to say hello or perhaps share an article they may find interesting
• Spend 1 day educating yourself on specific networking strategies such as learning effective conversation starters or proper ways to end a discussion, or discover the right way to follow up and follow through

Daily

• Write in a journal and reflect on the interactions you had or connections you made with different people
• Pick a specific time every day to carry out your relationship-building activities and track your goal progress

Or your overall larger networking goals

• Identify someone to be your mentor and then implement the proper way to invite them
• Get NetWorkWise Certified where you become immersed in the science and art of cultivating world-class relationships while earning our esteemed certification in professional networking

Of course, your goals will be more specific to your own objectives. Say you’re looking for a new job, then a weekly goal would be to make a certain number of connections with people who work in your desired industry or perhaps recruit for the role you’re applying for.

Now it isn’t always easy to simply reach out to your connections, especially if they’re a dormant tie. To help we’ve put together the NetWorkWise Seasonal Calendar which can be downloaded for free from our Resource Center. This tool is broken down by month with suggested ideas and topics that you can refer to and use when communicating with your contacts. It’s a great resource for you to utilize!

Once you’ve established your relationship-building objectives and have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish, it’s time to turn your goal setting into a habit, which is the next topic I’ll cover in our A 2020 Vision for Learning to NetWorkWise blog series. Planning networking goals and carrying out related activities is more effective when it’s part of your routine—and I’ll dive further into incorporating these important actions into your daily schedule!