As more and more people find themselves looking for a new opportunity, networking rises to the top of nearly every discussion. While networking is certainly an important activity for anyone seeking to expand their relationships, the term has become synonymous with email blasts and busy work that I think misses the point.
Think about how we communicate and get information; many times sitting in front of a computer by ourselves. How many of us send emails and look things up on the internet rather than talk with someone; or better yet, meet someone? More often than not, executives who find themselves out of work are trying to network and going about it the wrong way. With the proliferation of on-line tools like linkedin and facebook, people certainly have better access to more impactful networks, but many have set the wrong goals for themselves. Believing that the quantity of emails sent and received or how many contacts someone has on linkedin is "the networking fallacy".
At it's best, networking is an ongoing, long-term activity aimed at building and serving high impact relationships. While developing new relationships and building a substantial number of relationships is important, networking is best measured by the quality, focus and follow through of your activities. And the very best way to build and serve relationships is to spend time with people who care about your success, and in turn with those whom you genuinely care about.
As an executive recruiter and adviser, you'd expect that I'd have a perspective and know how to network, but all of us need a little reminder from time to time. Just the other day, a friend and client asked me, "How bad do you think the year will be for you?" He was asking as a friend and knowing that this recession is taking it's toll on everyone, but the comments that followed were so true that I thought I'd pass them along. He said, "You know, Rob people want you to succeed and they want to see you. Now is the time when people are listening, and they want to know your perspective."
After the call, I was reminded of that TV commercial where the President hands out airline tickets to his sales team to go out and meet with their clients. It's a good reminder for all us. Take it from someone whose business and livelihood depends on it, networking isn't the goal it's just an activity. Don't let "the networkig fallacy" take your eye off the real goal - building and serving high impact relationships.
