Networking: Is it essential for women leaders to succeed?

In my view “Networking is the #1 unwritten rule of success in business”. Networking isn’t rocket science. It’s about meeting people and establishing a connection. Empathy and sincerity go a long way in creating meaningful relationships which can become mutually advantageous for years to come.

Networking can be tedious and awkward. But according to a study by the Adler Group and LinkeIn, 85 percent of jobs are filled through networking, which means this activity ultimately benefits us in the long term. Networking isn’t just about landing a job at a different company but Face-to-face interactions within your current company are important to the trajectory of your career.

Although networking is often discussed as a job searching tool, that’s only one of its potential applications. Building relationships through networking can help land clients, for example, or finesse deals. What you know is certainly important, but who you know is often the key differentiator.

Somehow women are ill-equipped for the social aggressiveness that sometimes characterizes networking, especially the type of networking that might lead to a job. The idea here is that women may be reluctant to fully exploit their personal relationships, for just that reason–it seems exploitative. Surely women in business have to be optimistic as networking is about building relationships. It’s just that women are good at building relationships and the average woman has capacities for cooperation and empathy that vastly exceed those found in the average man. Thanks to nurture, nature, or some combination thereof,

Your strategic network is made up of relationships that help you to envision the future, sell your ideas and get the information and resources you need to exploit them. It requires both time and attention outside routine. The best place to start is by investing in new activities because the best way to grow professional relationships is by actually doing things together for example some kind of extracurricular activity, say with an industry association, alumni group or professional women’s network. Use these forums to speak up so that people know who you are, what you think and what you can bring to the table. As you start participating expand your responsibilities, keep in mind that that you can always create your own activity or network, centered around your interests and time constraints.

Here are few actionable tips to help jump-start your networking game:

Be Committed

Make this a priority and commit yourself to dedicate time for this. Start identifying commonalities: sports, alma maters, passions, favorite vacation destinations, business interests, which are the things deeper connections are built on. This is not “small talk.” In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Engaging in meaningful conversations, create impactful connections by proving your dedication to networking through action. Conversations like these have led to some of my strongest connections, and in some cases, have helped me develop lifelong friendships.

Choose a Goal

It’s hard to get what you want out of your networking endeavors if you don’t start with a clear agenda. Before attending meetings or events, take the time to determine what your goals are for the experience. For example, you might want to make new connections, donate your time to the community, or simply learn about the latest developments in your business or industry.

Be Confident

If you have decided to put the time into networking to succeed, approach the activity with confidence. You need to be able to actively engage people in conversation, and be confident enough to talk to strangers. The pay-off is that these people won’t be strangers for long, and the more you get used to talking to new people the easier it becomes. If you have difficulty with new crowds of people, perhaps consider doing a public speaking course first, or start with a small networking group where you can build your confidence.

Be your brand- Be authentic

When the opportunity presents itself organically, be ready to share about your ideas. Rather than rehearsing an elevator pitch, speak naturally about what you do, how do you do it and why you do it. Passion is contagious and deeply engaging, going further than a rehashed mission statement. Be yourself and be genuine

Be generous

Giving without the expectation of receiving something in return is an excellent way to build your network—and it feels good! Find what is important to members of your network and assist them when it is at all possible.

Beyond Comfort Zone

Be willing to get a little uncomfortable. Make it a point to mingle with as many new people as possible from different areas of expertise and experiences. Often, I inquire around about different events people are attending and ask for an invitation if I find them interesting. Others may find this approach awkward, but I believe the only way to make positive change and achieve growth is to put yourself out there.

Follow up while you are Fresh

After every conference or networking event, allocate time to following up. Set 15 minutes on your calendar per day to email the people you met. Doing so as soon as possible will help the recipient remember you. The longer you leave it, the less fresh you are in their minds.

Finally Networking is a lot like nutrition and fitness: we know what to do, the hard part is making it a top priority. And the only way to become convinced that networking is a priority is to start doing it and see the results for yourself.