Networking is a Life Skill
After a recent post on phyl terry book Never Search Alone, I got into a dialogue with a few folks about networking. I truly believe networking is a life skill, not just a skill that people might need someday if they are out-of-work. In fact, I suspect that the reasons a lot of us find networking hard, or icky, or tolerated only as a last resort, all would go away if we thought of networking as a skill we practice for a successful life.
It might help first to take a moment and picture someone – real or imagined – who is a consummate networker. What do you see? How do you feel about this person? Could you be this person? Would you want to be?
If you have negative or limiting beliefs about networking and those who practice it, that’s where we should start. I propose that there are many ways to be a good networker and that many of the negative stereotypes associated with networking – gladhanding, begging for jobs, nagging cold – callers – actually have little or nothing to do with effective networking.
You might benefit from reframing your views on networking.
1. A networking meeting isn’t transactional, it’s relational
2. Networking should be mutually beneficial
3. Networkers are resourceful, not helpless
4. Introverts can network, too
5. Networking isn’t only about “asking someone for a job”
Networking is a life skill because it draws on four characteristics that benefit all of us and should be practiced continuously:
✅ Curiosity: A genuine interest in others – their stories, their opinions, etc.
✅ Reciprocity: A belief that relationships are mutually beneficial and reinforcing
✅ Generosity: A desire to contribute to the strength of the network by helping others
✅ Connectivity: An appreciation for the values offered by social systems
Every day, ask yourself how you can bring these characteristics to your interactions with current and former colleagues, mentors, business school classmates, others within your industry ecosystem, and people that you meet in non-business contexts. Be curious about them. Practice reciprocity. Generously give your time and attention. Reveal, build and strengthen connections with those around you.
That’s networking as a life skill.
To talk more, connect with me here or at john@aconnectedcoach.com