In a previous blog I wrote about what you can do to make your goals happen. You can find it here, if you missed it, or if you’d like a reminder of some tools to help you reach your goals.

This time I have another tool to share with you – networking! If the thought of walking into a room full of people fills you with dread, do read on. Let me show you how it easy – and how effective – it can be.

Networking isn’t about walking into a room and talking to complete strangers about something you want. It’s really about speaking to people you already know, both asking for, and offering, support. Then gradually building from those contacts to widen and deepen your matrix of network relationships. When life, work or business aren’t quite going to plan – and you’re not reaching your goals as easily as you’d like to – networking and the support of others can really help.

“My right hand is being held by someone who knows more than I, and I am learning. My left hand is being held by someone who knows less than I, and I am teaching. Both my hands need thus to be held for me – to be.”

Natasha Josefowitz

The value of networking is summed up the words above, from the poem ‘Support Systems’. It’s about give and take. It’s about being supportive and being supported.

Online networking

Although it’s been true for many years, the pandemic highlighted how important an online network can be. It’s easy and has also become much more normal to get together and network with people located all around the world. You will have met online and talked to people who you will maybe never meet face to face, thanks to the power of LinkedIn, Zoom, Teams, Slack, Facetime or whatever your preferred digital channels may be. Online networking gives you quick and easy access to a much wider group of people than you could ever meet personally in your career. These don’t need to be people very different to you – they could even be those doing a similar job to you inside your organisation but in another department, another part of the country or another country entirely.

‘Six degrees of separation’ is the theory that it’s possible to contact anyone in the world in only six hops. In the online world this drops to something closer to four. Even at this moment, you may already be digitally connected to someone you could help or who could help you.

As you have the possibility of linking, relatively easily, with anyone else in the world, you also have the possibility of becoming more visible, demonstrating your value and your talents to those who could be important for your future. What are the most relevant online networks for your specialism, profession or field of work? Use these strategically and make sure they work for you. Being more visible can have its downside. If a potential employer checks your online footprint, what will they find? Be aware of what message about yourself you are broadcasting with your online presence. Keep it professional and polite. If you wouldn’t say it to a friend, don’t say it online.

The largest business network is still LinkedIn. Not everyone who is on LinkedIn uses it actively, but it’s still a great place to build your presence and your support network. In addition, depending on your work or your support need, good places for you could also be Instagram, Tik-Tok, Facebook or another digital environment

Networking Face to Face

You might think that these days networking is all about who you know online. But meeting people face to face is still vitally important. It’s helpful to connect with others across the globe and it’s also important to raise your profile and get support from those with similar aims and interests who are more local to you. These may be people you see regularly but have never thought about in a networking way, or maybe you have never met them and they are only on the next floor of your building.

Networking well is about:

• supporting others and boosting their confidence
• boosting your confidence by helping others
• sharing information as well as challenges
• thinking in a connected way – how could your connections help someone if you cannot personally
• being helpful to others with good quality feedback, ideas and suggestions
• celebrating others ‘successes and picking them up when they fail
• cheering others along whilst they also advocate for you
• respecting each person’s unique qualities and strengths and valuing the synergy of working with them.

Setting up a Face to Face Network

Can’t find a network that feels right to you, or find the right support for what you need help with? Why not start your own network?!

When two or three people agree to meet for coffee and to give each other ideas and support – that’s already a network! If you want to do this then be clear with your co-networkers that you are getting together with a more focused agenda than ‘just a catch up’ or ‘just a chat’. Set a clear amount of time, have maybe just one point to discuss and have equal space for each person’s views or challenges.

You probably already know about well established, large networks, such as the Women’s Institute or Business Network International (BNI). Others are more specific, covering every different job you can think of, from Accountants to Zoo Keepers!

If you want to set up a more formal network, this checklist will get you started:

• What are your objectives, personally and for the group?
• Who will be eligible to attend, how will you find these people?
• Who’s going to organise it? Don’t try to do it all yourself!
• Talk to your organisation and Trade Union if it’s a network for people in that organisation.
• When are you going to meet, how often, what time of day?
• Where are you going to meet, free or at a price?
• What publicity do you need, just digital or hard copy too?
• Give it a descriptive or catchy name.
• Start small and let it grow.
• Respond flexibly to the needs of the group.
• Start now – make it happen!

What are you going to do first, to extend and maintain your networks? What can you do today, to find the support you need, to make your goals and your ambitions happen?

However you approach your networking, get in touch if you need more help with this topic. Let’s have a chat if it all still seems a bit scary or if you’ve changed direction and need to re-focus your network for your future. Perhaps you need some networking goals for this year? Call me on +44 07977 072 760 or click here to email me and we can talk about what help you need to really make your network work for you this year!