Expanding your network may be easier than you think

Welcome back from a short week, Hello Monday readers. Have a career-related question you want answered next week by our expert community? Let me know in the comments below using #HelloMonday. Let’s dive right in…

Wake Up Call

A few years ago, Rick Klau realized he had a problem. A partner at Google’s venture capital arm, GV, Klau took a hard look at his professional and personal networks and realized about 80% of his contacts were male. A person who celebrates diversity of perspective, the venture capitalist was pretty shocked that this outlook wasn’t reflected in his network.

While it’s not worth noting that a white male working in venture capital mostly works with other white males, what Klau did next is.

Rather than sit back and allow the trend to continue, he hit the pavement — quite literally — to expand who he was talking to during the work day. In an increasingly global and diverse world, Klau understands that he is more useful to his colleagues and his portfolio companies if his network reflects a variety of backgrounds. He now estimates that about 45% of the new contacts he makes are women or people of color. I recently sat down with Klau — as well as separately Sydney Sykes, the founder of BLCK VC, an organization meant to engage black venture capitalists — about how workers across industries can practically expand their networks.

While it can be awkward to announce to the professional world that you are seeking to expand your network to include women and diverse groups, Klau said that being open about it led a lot of new people to approach him about a potential working relationship.

“By pointing out that I was imperfect, I was calling attention to an imbalance I wanted to improve,” he said.

Sykes added that the prospect of stepping beyond your comfort zone to meet new people can be intimidating. But, chances are you have at least one person in your network who reflects the background of people that you are trying to increase in your Rolodex. The investment analyst recommends asking that person to introduce you to people they like and work with. This small act has the potential to introduce you to a whole new pocket of people you’ve never met.

And if you’re like most people, you likely find yourself hanging out in the same neighborhoods, attending the same conferences and participating in the same after-work activities year over year. Sykes also recommends changing up where it is that you are going to give yourself a better chance of interacting with new people. If you do this and are open when you get there, meeting new people may be easier than you think.

Of course, as Klau pointed out, having a broad network of colleagues isn’t the goal. The goal is to leverage that network to benefit your company as well as your career. Keeping that in the back of your mind can motivate you to step outside of the office more often for a coffee and continue to push beyond your comfort zone when reaching out.

Have any advice for workers looking to expand their networks? Share them below using #HelloMonday

What’s Working

On-set callout. Grey’s Anatomy Star Ellen Pompeo led by example recently when she called out magazine staff Net-A-Porter for interviewing her with an all-white staff. “This day has been incredible, and there’s a ton of women in the room. But I don’t see enough color,” she said. [LinkedIn via Indiewire]

Working with the enemy. When it comes to ensuring his business continues to grow, Buzzfeed Founder Jonah Peretti doesn’t shy away from even controversial options. One of the options he has considered — at least in theory — is merging with competitors to negotiate better terms with platforms like Facebook and Google. [NYTimes]

A morbid way to grow your career. Executive coach Daniel Harkavy told Fast Company that he recommends that the leaders that he works with write their own eulogy for what they’ve accomplished today and another one for what they hope to accomplish in the future. The goal is to help them stay motivated for what’s ahead. [LinkedIn via Fast Company]

What’s Wrong?

Attorney Samorn Selim: How do you balance being a mom and self care? The baby has to feed every 2-4 hours. What can we do in between showering, cooking, eating, running a business? Attorney Samorn Selim

Hatch Baby Co-Founder and CEO Ann Crady Weiss: I’m big on finding small moments in the day that help me to decompress and recharge. A quick walk around the block with my husband; one-on-one time with my kids doing something they love; a massage; a morning run — it’s all fulfilling for me. When your babies are small, finding time for yourself between caring for them and work and everything else is so hard — it's just about survival. Anything you can do for yourself, no matter how small, is a win. Know that it will get better!

But when it comes to finding balance, I can honestly say I don’t have it all figured out. It’s a constant series of adjustments and readjustments. I know that my North Star is my family and raising well-adjusted kids who I know and who know me. Being present for my kids is my first priority. It’s also something that drives our workplace culture. At Hatch Baby, I hope we’re creating a culture where hardworking, committed parents get room to find their balance, too.

I’ve been lucky enough to create flexibility for myself in my job so that I can be there for them when they need me. But, I work a lot. I love my work. I believe that it’s important to show my kids that I am leading a life I enjoy and am fulfilled by, which for me includes a rich work life. I hope this example rubs off on them in some way, because at the end of the day, we all want our kids to strive for happiness, too.  

Have a question you want answered next week? Include it in the comments below using #HelloMonday.

One More Thing…

Less scrolling, more page turning. It’s quite easy these days to get all your information from short sends like this one, but let’s not forget that a lot of information in better consumed in long form. From The New York Times, here are 100 notable books from 2018.