
However, most of the time we are on autopilot when it comes to interacting with others. What we can learn from this video is that we are all inter-connected and our ability to pick up on social and emotional cues is highly honed. Relationships need consistent, thoughtful care to grow and flourish.Ĭheck out a great article on how millionaire and Aussie Business Success story, Jo Burston has succeeded due to being structured and strategic about her network In our busy world, this can often be overlooked due to what appear to be 'more important other tasks" that we work on. This is important because we want to makes sure we are putting effort into these relationships. We under-estimate the importance of working on this network.įor both our internal and external networks, we should be creating a list of those within these networks and making sure we have set goals around how we manage our time. My experience is that most busy professionals do not have the correct strategic network contacts in place. Our external contacts are our strategic contacts. These are the potential contacts who can help us solve problems such as: how do I get my boss to agree to this very important project, how can I make contact with that Senior Exec whose department I'd like to move into to, where do I find a mentor, who do I call if I want to talk something over with. Our external networks refers to those contacts who we reach out to at a more strategic level. We often under-estimate these because we use them so often it is effortless. Our internal networks refer to our day to day or operational network of contacts. I mentioned at the beginning of this article that we have two types of typical networks: internal and external.

Of course, networking has its own place as the formal functions that happen within a business like networking functions with clients or suppliers as well as the networking functions held at Chambers of Commerce, local business networking events and so on. If you could see networking from this perspective, it may take a lot of the "stress" associated with networking away. Networking happens naturally within the workplace and most of the time, we are not aware we are doing it. I believe that the first step is to really understand what networking is and what it isn't. The power of networks and relationships cannot be disputed. In a recent article I wrote about using LinkedIn to network and grow your reach, my research indicates that people find new roles and get promoted through friends or colleagues of friends most often. But, most professionals are unaware of the impact their networking or lack of it, is having on their future prospects – whether promotion, mentoring or side-ways movement within a company. Networking is a core competency for every single working professional.


If you are think or do any of the above and you are NOT in a sales or marketing role, then this article is for you! In my work with busy professionals, I find that most people under-estimate the value of their internal network and feel overwhelmed by having to reach out and “go to networking” functions to build their external networks.Īnd yet, it doesn't need to be like this.
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Networking Is A Core Competency – But Do You Know How To Use It Effectively And Authentically To Generate Results?
