Connectworking 2.0: Revisited
In the book Power by Jeffrey Pfeffer - a professor of organizational behavior at Stanford - the author highlights a definition of networking: “behaviors that are aimed at building, maintaining and using informal relationships that possess the (potential) benefit of facilitating work-related activities of individuals by voluntarily granting access to resources and maximizing common advantages” (Wolff & Moser, 2009, pp. 196-197)
Reading such a complex (possibly accurate) definition reminded me of my own simple definition of networking: connecting - thus the play on words of the title of this article. To simply summarize my point of view, I would say that meeting someone could be considered networking as long as the answer to the following two questions is yes: Did the person get a sense of who I am? Did I get a sense of what the person is all about? Although never with 100% certainty, a feeling of connection is the low bar for what could be considered networking. We’ve been doing this all along; it doesn’t have to be scary nor complex.
Having been featured on page 61 and 62 of Nathan Perez’s 20 Minute Networking Meeting book (Kindle, Professional edition), I’ve received quite a few networking requests in the past few years - from all walks of life. From senior sales executives trying to relocate to University students in their freshman year. In fact, I estimate that I’ve been meeting on average with one new person a week for the past 10 years, not including those from work/school. This LinkedIn article is a follow up of my previous article on connectworking, adding three new insights from my experience. So, what additional insights I’ve picked up from the past 10 years?
1. Behaviors influence attitudes and attitudes influence beliefs. Practice.
Think of these three concepts (behaviors, attitudes and beliefs) as interrelated. They influence each other. Specifically on this topic, practicing networking influences a positive attitude towards connecting with others, and that attitude influences the empowering belief that you may actually be good at it.
Meet Erick
As a freshman in college, Erick was able to connect with a paid summer opportunity to lead a college painting business. It was a rough experience; with no support from the organization and feeling they were taken advantage of him, Erick made the conscious decision to use the learnings of that experience in his interviews for a following summer internship. As a sophomore, he showed up prepared at a career fair targeted for junior-year students. His attitude and the way he conducted himself telling stories of his previous summer got him invited to participate in a semester-long co-op for one of the largest healthcare CPGs. Gaining confidence in connecting, during that time, he reached out to directors and learned directly from them. Now as a Junior, those connections got him an unrequested call with an opportunity to work at one of the largest retailers. Not even having graduated from school he had dream opportunities lined up. This first generation college grad learned to connect with others (behavior), gained professional confidence (attitude) and now believes that there is no pre-established requirement that can hold him back from getting what he wants in his career. Connecting with others is the way.
As you “practice” connecting with others, you’ll have an array of experiences from spending some awkward moments to making new friends from just a single interaction; but for the most part, the majority of your connecting experiences will net positive. Practice.
2. If it’s on the internet, it’s fair to assume you already know it. Do your research.
Don’t waste people’s valuable time with questions that could easily be found on the internet. Ask differential questions. Your great questions will not only set you apart but will make the other person feel valued for their input and the time you took to research them.
This is such an evergreen insight that I don’t have a specific story to tell you. In fact, probably most of the stories I know about intentional networking shared this topic as a common thread. What I would like to add from all these years of experience is that I am much less likely to open my network to people that haven’t done their research.
3. The questions you ask “sell” for you. Ask great questions.
Whether as a job seeker or as a sales person looking to learn about a company, I tell practicing networkers that they can start by asking basic questions to entry-level employees. And as they network their way up through the organization, they should continue to come up with more informed questions for senior executives.
Meet Alice
After getting turned down for a communication role at her dream company, Alice did not give up. She believed she had the skills to learn, even if she didn’t have the “right experience on paper”. Her drive and belief showed in the attitude with which she approached her networking meetings. In her wanting to learn more about other roles at the organization, she continued to meet with professionals from different departments.
As she researched the corporation via connections, her questions got better. At first, she asked brand associates “What is a day in a life for you? What do you enjoy most about the work?” Good basic questions. But when she met with more senior associate brand managers, she upped her game and asked questions such as “What are current challenges you face in hitting the P&L objectives? How have supply chain disruptions affected your business? More informed question.
Through her questions others could see: her strong interest in the organization, the time and care she took to research the individual, her professionalism in leading the conversation, her positive attitude, and her confidence. In short, her questions “sold” for her. By the time she met with a hiring manager, those that she met had put good words for her. And during the interview, she was able to show all of her work. Now, Alice works for her dream company.
Happy Connetworking!
Disclaimer: This post was originally written on LinkedIn in 2022. Everything shared in this content represents my personal viewpoint. It reflects my perceptions, memories, and interpretation of events, and should not be understood as factual claims about others. Any mention of people, organizations, or situations is intended solely to illustrate my personal experience. I do not assert, imply, or intend to assert any defamatory statements about any individual or entity.
