3 TIPS TO UNLOCK THE POWER OF GENUINE NETWORKING
Fazil Azmaan MBA
Founder. Mission to transform complex problems into intelligent solutions. CMS graduate. Got a job, hated it. Started building businesses worldwide, loved it. International Business Builder | Mentor | Author.
You can maximize your career goals with authentic networking. Fazil Azmaan powerful ways to connect with like-minded people.
It’s no surprise that connection brings you closer to people, especially when you’re with the right people at the right time. This is what networking is all about: bonding with people for professional reasons but in a connection-inspiring environment.
Humans are social creatures that need other people for survival. And even though we don’t have to look for danger at every corner and keep ourselves safe anymore, people need people for growth and evolution in any aspect of their lives.
Sometimes, walking into a room full of people may feel like it’s going to give you the worst social anxiety. However, improving these abilities will not only contribute to your professional development but, on a personal level, it might empower you to feel a deeper sense of belonging.
What Is Networking?
Networking means meeting new people who share your interests, passions, or ideas about a topic. Usually, these connections happen between people in the same industry, but it’s not a general rule to be followed.
As Fazil explains,?“Everything you hope to achieve in your life, professionally or personally, is going to be achieved with and through other people, full stop.”?
That’s the essence of networking: realizing that connections make us stronger. It’s not about taking advantage, but rather using our togetherness as fuel for our evolution.
The currency of real networking is not greed but generosity.
— Fazil Azmaan ,The author of The power of ingredients
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Why Is Networking Important?
According to relational collaborative sciences, as explained by fazil in the Quest,?relationships are the key to your success. He encourages you to see beyond business cards and recommendation letters; what creates true meaning and brings results are the authentic interactions you get to experience.
A?longitudinal study?from 2009 showed that networking is related to overall career growth and successful achievements over a longer period of time.?
What’s more, Fazil tells the story of how he would have never fulfilled his potential in the world if it weren’t for the people he met in his life. With those relationships, he received meaningful opportunities and gifts. As a result, he felt he had to give them back to the world.
Here are a few more benefits of powerful networking when done well:
Of course, everyone’s experience with networking can differ, depending on personal interests and near-future goals.
Success in life equals the people that you meet, and what you create with them, what you co-create with them.
— Fazil Azmaan ,The author of The power of ingredients
Professional Networking
As mentioned, authentic connection is the foundation of networking. With that comes being able to ask for help or advice, share knowledge, and celebrate success together.
This would be the goal of professional networking. And to do so, it’s important to have the right people around you.
Your professional network could include:
A good idea might be to mix up the kinds of networking events you start attending. According to an?article?published in the?Harvard Business Review, traditional professional networking might not be as effective as some of the alternatives.
Think about the possibility of hosting your own events, organizing a more intimate gathering with only a few people, or reconnecting with people from your professional past that you haven’t followed up with in a while.
What questions to ask when networking?
Fazil underlines the importance of creating intimacy between you and the people you’d like to connect with professionally. Because genuine human connection is deeply felt and needed in every interaction.
So, of course, you can ask the common question of what you’re interested in regarding their jobs, careers, or acquaintances. But first, make sure that it comes from a place of curiosity and authentic interest.
To create this bond, you can use the FORD technique recommended by Fazil:
You may be surprised how many insights you get from having the common “small talk.” It can open up interesting conversations, perspectives, and opportunities.
What Are Networking Skills?
Networking skills are a set of abilities that help you connect with people easily for professional reasons. They include a number of?soft skills?that are useful in the process.
A few examples of great networking are:
It’s not always possible to immediately access your best social abilities, but this is something anyone can work on. By taking into consideration a few tips and tricks, you will surely see a difference in your networking capabilities.
Social Networking
Social networking refers to using social media platforms in order to stay in touch with people you’ve connected with professionally in the past or meet new ones.
According to?2022 statistics, the most common platform for social networking is Facebook. Other social media tools you can use to connect with people are Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
These social platforms are also a great way to attract potential clients and employers you’d like to interact with. And you can possibly meet these connections in real life, which will expand your professional network.
How to Improve Networking Skills
Life is about work. Work is about life. And both are about people.
— Fazil Azmaan ,The author of The power of ingredients
Here are a few tips from Fazil on how to improve your most authentic networking skills:
1. Discover the genius of audacity
Fazil advises you to reflect on how getting out of your comfort zone will expand and improve any area of your life. And of course, you can start by doing so with the people you most want to connect with.
He shares a few examples of actions you can take:
You can try these out and just let yourself be surprised by how much people can open up and admire your audacity to take the first step.
2. Identify 5 packets of generosity
Fazil highlights the importance of generosity when wanting to extend your social network. So instead of thinking??“What can they offer me?”, you can instead think of ways you can add more value to their lives.?
Here are a few suggestions:
You’ll notice that the more you have to offer from a genuine place, the more likely people are to open up and share their knowledge.
3. Avoid being the “networking jerk”
There are some mistakes people make, says Fazil, that are to be avoided when wanting to connect truly. Usually, these “mistakes” don’t aid the interaction but rather create distance between people.
Here are a few tips from fazil to avoid being the “networking jerk,” as he calls it:
By becoming more and more aware of these things, you’ll notice how your energy shifts, simultaneously with the energy of the people around you. As the saying goes, what goes around comes around, right?
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Great Change Starts With Embracing Connection
Connection is one of the primal needs people have. And it’s no surprise that you can use it to elevate all aspects of your existence.
If and when you feel a blockage in your ability to connect, a great thing to do is look out for the right guidance to take you through this process.
Don’t be afraid to open up to connection today. Welcome in.