What is networking?

Workplace networking involves the ongoing development of long-term relationships with colleagues, clients, and competitors, establishing bonds and maintaining a respected professional reputation. It involves putting yourself out there, meeting with and learning about people within your industry, and creating a list of business connections.

There will be contacts whom you can assist and who can potentially help you in return. It is absolutely a two-way street and not the right occasion for a “I can do this on my own” mentality.

Why is neworking important to your success?

Gone are the days of the baby boomer years when people considered staying with one firm their entire career as a badge of loyalty and pride. Today, it is critical to change roles and move to different companies as a way of increasing your knowledge and expertise.

There’s a financial incentive to do so: It also helps propel your salary higher.

If you are in the workforce already, you most likely have a good idea of what networking means and how to do it. But it is not necessarily easy for all personalities, and you may actually be neglecting some strategies that could be helpful. There is always something to learn.

Starting conversations with complete strangers can bring up downright panic for some people. Have you ever been to an event where you knew no one in the room?

How to network

1.     Remind yourself that others are also in your shoes. Take a look around the room and notice if someone is standing alone and may be too nervous to break into a circle of people.

This is a great opportunity to walk over and introduce yourself and talk about the event itself! For example, ask them about what brought them to the event? Are they enjoying it? What did they think of the last panel session? And so on.

2.    Come prepared with open-ended questions that help avoid any awkward silences or the dreaded small talk. For example, read the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal or Bloomberg news to catch yourself up on any current hot topics that are relevant to the event you are attending.

Try to stick with subjects that are non-partisan avoiding any potential heated topics like politics, religion etc. If you are not on the same page and have polarising beliefs, that can certainly be a conversation killer.

3.    Make sure you bring your business cards so that you can exchange contact details and have a closure for your conversation. Some people still use them and in some cultures, they never faded from fashion.

4.    If you make a connection, follow-up the next day with a LinkedIn invitation and message.

Expand your horizon

In the office

Networking in the office is the most obvious and easiest place to create relationships. When starting a new job, make a point to introduce yourself to as many people as possible even if they don not have a direct connection to your role.

These people should become part of your LinkedIn network. Why? They may leave and move to a firm that you have always wanted to work at – the best way to land a job is by colleague referral.

So, what is in it for me?

There is actually a lot in it for you and the sooner you start, the better. The benefits will eventually reveal themselves and the top ones are below:

The Reward of Helping Others

When you expand your network outside of your comfort zone and talk to people from different areas of the business, you may come across someone who looks to you for advice and guidance.

Research shows that even if the rewards aren’t immediately apparent, contributing to the success of others in the workplace pays off in the long run. What’s more, helping out a professional connection means that they’ll be more likely to return the favour down the road whether that is making introductions, providing good feedback on a peer review, or just simply looking to help lighten your workload.

Expand Your Market Knowledge

Albert Einstein is known for saying, “Once you stop learning, you start dying”. And how true. We are bombarded with information all day long through emails, texts from friends, news, Instagram posts, Tik Tok videos- all of these competes for our attention and time.

One of the benefits of LinkedIn in relation to Networking is that you hand select business contacts that you choose to stay connected with.

There is a general understanding that LinkedIn is “business only” so don’t go posting any pub visits with friends from the weekend on there. Joking aside, it is a great way to learn about your contacts and any business trends. So, not only can you learn something new but you are getting access to what intrigues your contacts.

Connections who can introduce you to other Key industry Contacts

When your contacts get to know you, they may voluntarily suggest other people that you should react out to within your industry. If not, ask something like, who else should I be speaking with?

Increase Your Chances of Finding a Job

Here is the most obvious benefit that most people associate with LinkedIn. Remember LinkedIn is a Marketing took and you are marketing yourself, your skills, your knowledge and what sets you apart.

Don’t be invisible

Make sure that whatever is visible to others is something that you are comfortable sharing with the public. Most importantly, don’t let time slide before you have to reach out to a contact for help. One of the mistakes people make is losing contact with senior executives in past roles and then find themselves needing their help down the road.

Most people don’t really like someone reaching out to them asking for help when they have been silent for years on end. Constantly keep a list of key stakeholders in your mind and reach out to them every so often, it doesn’t have to be monthly, but it should be at least once or twice a year depending on the situation.

Ability to Influence Others

Throughout your career, you will come across areas within your industry that you may find “needing improvement”.

Often, this can tie into your passions which, when combined, lead you to the positive rewards of self-empowerment by affecting real change. Whether it be something as simple as improving a process within your team or getting involved in or starting volunteer programs, there are plenty of options to make an impact.

There are many instances where people stay within their comfort zone and only socialise within their clique, losing out on the opportunity to learn more.

When you network with new people outside of your circle, you will be surprised to find out how much idea-sharing and knowledge you can obtain. It even builds self-confidence within the workplace.