I hate networking...

“Mindfulness is the open-hearted energy of being aware in the present moment. It’s the daily cultivation—practice—of touching life deeply.”―?Laurie Buchanan, PhD

Cultivating relationships?with people who've achieved what you want to achieve makes the path fuller and more fun. —?Katori Hall

A common refrain of my clients is that “I hate having to network”; however, it is necessary for faster advancement and expanding your career opportunities.?The word itself often embodies a feeling of phoniness and awkwardness.?What is often the case is that most folks are trying to leverage relationships that they haven’t cultivated.?The timing is based on when they need a network to make the next step and not on developing relationships.?

If you haven’t toiled the ground, you can’t expect your garden to grow.?As a first step, you’ll need to lay the groundwork for cultivating a professional network by changing your mindset in three ways.?

First, if you are thinking about networking as a preventative task that you are obligated to do for professional reasons, you’ll need to change your mindset to a promotion mindset that allows you to focus on networking to grow and advance.?Promotion-focused people develop relationships because they want to get to know and approach people with excitement, curiosity, and an open mind.?Coming in with genuine excitement allows you to start cultivating the relationship.

Second, if you feel powerless and feel that you have little to give, you’ll need to focus more broadly on what you can contribute to the relationship.?Studies have shown that more junior folks are reticent to engage in networking even though they will derive the most benefits from these relationships.?You can think about apparent assets such as technical support and information; however, you should also consider gratitude and enhancing their reputation through mentorship as ways to support your newfound professional network.?

Third, change your mindset of networking as a self-centered pursuit into one with a higher purpose.?Studies have shown that folks focused on a higher purpose like supporting colleagues or that their voices need to be heard feel more authentic in asking questions and seeking help.?It is not selfish to develop relationships that have a higher purpose and are mutually beneficial.?

If you can focus on these three factors, you’ve made the first step in cultivating relationships.?You’ll come across authentically, with a powerful mindset connected to a higher purpose.?Now the issue is how and with whom to cultivate relationships!?In subsequent posts, I’ll be exploring various topics related to networks and would love to know your questions. Please share them in the comments section to help me dive deeper into the topic!