Because we live in a world that is changing all the time, many of us are faced with the prospect of our current job becoming obsolete. You may have the threat of redundancy, losing your job, looming over your head, and be wondering "What on earth do I do next?" Networking is one of the most important parts of an effective employment strategy. In this article we'll look at some of the reasons why. Careers - It's all change The career ladder is today more like a maze. Sometimes you may go up, other times left, right or even backward. According to Leon Benjamin, "The future of work is only about one thing and that's change. It makes no difference if you're an employee, an entrepreneur, a small business owner or freelance consultant, and the means by which we will secure the work we want that suits our individual lifestyles, will be by cultivating relationships." In the period immediately after the second world, school leavers would join a company with the expectation of a job for life. This changed for the generation leaving school from the 1980s, who anticipated career progression through a number of different organizations. For the current generation of school leavers, and for many others, the notion of a single lifetime career, perhaps the notion of jobs themselves has probably disappeared. We are likely to need to reapply our skills into different jobs from the ones we did before. What is networking? Networking is "a process of interacting with people who usually share similar interests to yours. The interactions are usually the sharing of information about those interests, and the passing on of names of others who also share those interests." It should benefit both parties. With respect to finding work, it is a way of getting new contacts and information. Some people love to network; others find it really hard, especially as a way to find work. Guanxi the Chinese secret to networking One of the best ways to understand networking is to understand the Chinese philosophy of Guanxi (pronounced as Guan Chi). Roger Hamilton, CEO of Wealth Dynamics, describes Guanxi as an energy that results from the flow of favours. With every favour you give to someone, you grow the Guanxi. Your reputation grows, the willingness for people to help you increases. It was described to me as a set of steps: 1. Know someone.
2. Like someone.
3. Trust someone.
4. Trade with someone. Networking means showing a concern and interest in others that will help build the credibility and trust. This is a key part of establishing an effective network. However, dont try to keep record of who owes you a favour. Think of someone you know who is very well connected and generous with their referrals. See it as a way of building your attractiveness. The value is in the links The value of networking is not so much about the quality of the people you meet, but the quality and quantity of the people they know. The links, the connections and introductions people can make, are more important than the wealth or expertise of the person themselves. Meeting Bill Gates and Steve Jobs When I was in my early Twenties, in the days before I knew about networking, I met Bill Gates, CEO of Microsoft (and now the richest man in the world) and Steve Jobs (then CEO of Next, now CEO of Apple). I said hello to both of them, shook hands with Steve when I met him, and that was it. I was struck that I had nothing to say to them, had nothing of great value I could do for them, and that this was a disappointment for me. So how would I handle it today, now I am a fan of networking? My perspective would be different - from what can I get to how can I help them. Id ask them what they need. Almost certainly, I couldnt help them, but there might be someone I know in my network that could. You never know, and perhaps wed build some Guanxi. Networking is often about being a switchboard - people pass through you to get somewhere else. More often than not there's little likely reward to you, yet the more people see you as the natural place to go to get connected, the more like that the connections you want are likely to be attracted to you. As a result, you'll see the connections to many of the people or organizations you want to connect with. An attitude of giving Dr Ivan Misner, founder of networking group BNI, promotes the philosophy of "givers gain". The more you give unconditionally, the more you get back. However, this goes against the philosophy of selling, and, it must be said the culture of most large organizations. Large organizations tend to reward scarcity of knowledge, so many feel they are like to get on in an organization by holding back, in terms of knowledge, as much as they can. So if you've worked for a large organization for most of your life, don't worry if this feels, at first, like the wrong thing to do. Why Network? What's your value? Networking is also a great way to check on a regular basis your value on the open market, and you don't have to go on a job interview to get this valuable feedback. Let's start with the formula for wealth: Wealth = Your Value x Leverage. A lot of people come to networking with a view to "leverage their value"; that is, to build up a network of unpaid salesman or cheerleaders who will recommend and introduce them to people they don't know. What often happens is that, instead, they find they are questioned and challenged over their value; that is, the difference they make that leads people to give them money in exchange. People turn round and say they don't understand your value, give advice on how that value could be increased, or give you pointers towards new things of value you could offer. I've heard one networking expert say "Until you find yourself, you cannot find work". So, whilst networking will help with getting your message "out there", it's also a great way to improve your offering, to get some R&D. Three key benefits Professor Wayne Baker looked at the findings from research into networking, and found three key benefits: 1 Finding a job. More people find jobs through personal contact and by any other means. 2 Pay and promotion. People with rich social networks are paid better and promoted faster at younger ages. 3 Influence and effectiveness. People who are central in an organization's networks are more influential than others. Networking puts you in contact with people you might not otherwise meet. You'll increase your knowledge about the subject and be connected to more people within this community. It isn't wrong to network Most of us believe in a meritocratic society. The most able and hard working people are rewarded the most, and you may feel uncomfortable with the idea of gaining benefits because of whom we know. You can use networking to get an introduction, to get a warm referral. You can also use networking to build up your expertise and create a team that you can use as a support team: sub contractors, mentors, master mind groups and so on. After that, it's up to you. Relationships need to be nurtured. They grow over time, and from that you develop trust and credibility. They can't be faked. For more information If you would like a free sample chapter from our self paced study guide, "Network to Get Work", on finding work through networking, visit http://www.cherryleaf.com/jobarticle.htm For more information on how to find a job through networking, see Network to GetWork Summary As we move towards a relationship economy, with the nature of work changing, networking can help you connect with the people who need your skills and can also help you increase your value as an employee. |
