Explain to me why you think networking is slimy?
Maryann Lombardi
Relationship + Leadership Development | Making Networking Not Suck | Author | Speaker | Creative Economy Innovator | Single Parent of the Coolest Human on the Planet
I had a conversation with someone the other day who said they don't like networking because it is slimy.
Networking is the intentional act of developing and maintaining relationships for a professional purpose.
A lot of people get hung up on the “professional purpose” part. As if having a purpose, an intent, makes developing these relationships slimy.
But don’t we have a purpose with most of the relationships we develop?
Relationships have been integral to our survival since we started building societies. We have always had a purpose in developing them. We have always relied on the support of others to build safe and interdependent communities, to support our growth, and to live our best lives.
So how is networking for a professional purpose any different?
How is it somehow worse or bad?
How is being intentional about building relationships that connect us to new opportunities, help us grow and build a work-life to support the life we choose to live slimy?
I don't think it is.
M.Sc. Cognitive Science graduate seeking industry work in Data Science
3 个月Came across this article while searching for opinions in an effort to challenge my apprehensions about networking. I think what you say is true and sensible. Though I do think there is a fine line between relationship building with a purpose and using others to fulfill your purposes. I think this latter behaviour is what can come across as slimy, and is what more cynical or skeptical people (such as myself) would assume the main intention of relationship building is. I believe healthy networking can take place if you don't make your goals the focus of the relationship, but if you can instead value the contact for its own sake, without expecting anything of benefit to necessarily come from it. I still have trouble thinking that a majority of people networking approach relationships in this more way - but it is at least more evident to me now that networking does not necessarily have to be slimy.
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1 年Totally agree. Well stated??
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1 年People think that we Network Marketers can be "pushy." But there are much better ways to do it! I think it is incredibly FUN and I would love to share the fun with others. Can we imagine what it would be like if all women were in network marketing together, lifting each other up, instead of hating on it and each other? We would all be millionaires. haha! In my mind.