Networking

Business is a human enterprise, and the success of any business is determined and driven by people. Yes, profits are important; but we all need the support of other people and success in business is about working with people, and not against them. This is where networking comes in.

So what is networking? It's all about the people we know and the people who know us.

Malcolm Gladwell, in his bestseller The Tipping Point, wrote about Paul Revere. It was 1775. The colonists in North America had had enough of English laws and English taxes. The time had come to fight for their independence. Two men were dispatched with the task of raising a militia.

Paul Revere rode north and one, William Dawes, rode south. American folk history describes how Paul Revere galloped on his trusty steed from town-to-town and farmstead-to-farmstead, through the darkest of nights in 1775, calling on the men and boys to answer the call to arms. Both men rode to similar towns, populated by the same sort of people. Paul Revere raised a large militia and rode into history. William Dawes did not. Malcolm Gladwell asked why. The answer? Paul Revere was a super-connector – someone who knew a lot of people, and the right people.

Both Revere and Dawes were spreading the same information, but Paul Revere already knew a lot of people, and he knew them well. So he knew who would spread the call to arms after he had given them the initial news. In other words, he already understood how the networks worked. He knew which colonists, in turn, had their own networks, and could spread the news quickly and widely.

Then, as now, networks are important.

• They facilitate the spread of private information.
• They allow access to diverse skill sets.
• They can lead to relationships with powerful, influential individuals.

The transfer of information has always been crucial, and never more so than in the modern, information-driven world. In modern organisations which are less hierarchical and more fluid, power brokers – those individuals who, often, just know the people – are more important than ever. Information brokers in an organisation connect specialised pools of knowledge by linking independent clusters.

That old adage,?it's not what you know, but who you know that counts, has never been more true.

What should your network look like and how do you go about buidling one?

Create networks:

• based on trust;
• which are diverse; and
• using brokers that will often not be in a position of formal authority.

Professional networks are not the same as social ones. They require us to move out of our comfort zones. Some people find this easy. Many do not. Kevin Ferrazzi, in his bestseller Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time, provides an excellent blueprint for network building.

Building your own network calls for

• generosity
• openness
• determination.

Don't keep score:

• This speaks to your attitude to networking. Expect to help other people before you will be offered help (or advice).
• Work at being a good networker. Loyalty and generosity are the foundation of good networking.
• Be sociable. Be yourself. Don't be afraid to share personal information about yourself, and even professional information. Use your discretion! Remember, information flows both ways. Non-verbal cues are very important.
• Treat everyone as equals. Be transparent and genuine.

Crystallise your mission and strategy:

In essence, be prepared!

Before making approaches to anyone, develop your own personal brand and message.

• Find your passion.
• Get your message and brand out there.
• Manage your own (social) media. Know the market.
• Develop an identity that is trustworthy and credible, which sends a reassuring message to your contacts. This will attract more people to you. It allows you to stand out and will grow your network.
• Take care of your brand. Do things that set you apart and get you positive attention.

Consider carefully the strategy you will employ.

• What do you want? Write down your short-, medium and long-term goals. Then devise the best strategy to achieve them.
• Know who to talk to in advance. Determine who your network brokers are. Identify super-connectors and approach them. If there are already super-connectors in your network, don't neglect them.
• Be generous to everyone. Listen to everyone.
• Begin by building personal relationships.
• Be genuinely interested in anyone you're talking to. Be interesting yourself. You want people to remember you.
• Expand your circle of friends and acquaintances by linking your inner circle with someone else's.
• Figure out other people's missions and motivation. Make someone else successful and you will become indispensable.
• Networking requires time and effort. Good relationships are long-term investments. They are not built over-night. Follow-up on your contacts. Keep in touch. The quality of time, not the amount of time, is important.

BUILD IT BEFORE YOU NEED IT:

Develop strong networking relationships before you might need them.

• Look beyond your social circle. People similar to you and with whom you spend a lot of time will not lend diversity to your network, or the diverse skills and knowledge which you might one day need.
• Participate in shared activities in your community. Clean-up days along the local spruit bring diverse people together. Parents with diverse careers and skills will work together to make the school fete a success.
• Potentially, ANYONE can be of value in your network. If you need to meet the CEO, the P.A. who worked beside you on the muddy spruit could set up an appointment for you.
• Conferences are not about the speakers. They are about the people attending. They are a chance to meet like-minded people. But first do your homework. Always prepare before meeting new people:
• Listen to everyone.
• Prepare in advance what you might say and know in advance who to talk to.
• Keep your social calendar full. Remain active in social circles. Find the time to keep up your golf club or tennis club membership.

ALWAYS BE NETWORKING.

HAVE THE COURAGE TO ASK:

• Create a personal "board of advisors".
• Approach potential mentors, influential individuals with power, to be part of your network.
• Do not be afraid to ask for help or advice if you need it. Your mentor will be flattered (We're all human.) and you will benefit in countless ways.
• Remember that your peers are also very important. Not only older people are wiser, and it's probably easier to ask a peer/contemporary for help.
• Be prepared (always) to respond to offers for help or advice. Your mentees are valuable links in your network and need to be nurtured. A network functions precisely because there is mutual need.