8

Create New Value

CHANGE ISN’T NEWS. But the speed and scope of change demands more from everyone. There are “changes in target markets, products, business objectives, time frames, cycle times, organizational structure, work location, work teams, job roles, and manager alignment,” says “The Rise of the Network Leader,” a 2013 Corporate Executive Board publication.

When constant change is the name of the game, relationship building is both more difficult and more necessary. But don’t worry. Your networker identity and the full complement of leading-edge skills you have learned position you for success even in this chaotic environment. Competency 8 shows you how to put networking to work to create new value. You already know that networking enables you to do your own job better and faster and to contribute to the achievement of big organizational goals, thus positioning yourself for career advancement.

“Only 30 percent of employees know how they can achieve a broader impact within the organization,” says the Corporate Executive Board’s 2013 report, “The Rise of The Network Leader.” As a strategic networker, you can dramatically improve that sorry statistic as you give and receive the kind of help that’s at the heart of collaboration. You can reap the benefits of diversity in your networks, gather—and share—ideas and contacts, and apply your face-to-face networking techniques to build more trusting online relationships. This chapter shows you how to use the face-to-face networking skills you’ve learned to create real value.

Clarifying Collaboration

Take a look at The Big Picture again (Figure 8–1). Notice that collaboration is the outcome of connecting and conversing. It can only happen when you know how to teach trust, cultivate relationships, and build networks. The 8 Competencies give you the skills you need to do so.

Collaboration was the overwhelming frontrunner on CEOs’ wish lists in the 2012 IBM Global Study. When they say they want more collaboration, what are they really asking of you?

Collaboration and teamwork are not the same. To get a clear picture of teamwork, think of a baseball team. The manager (leader) brought you on the team to play a specific position. You’re a first baseman, not a pitcher. You’re expected to use your first baseman skills. You are not expected to pitch. The games are scheduled long in advance. Rules are followed: three outs, nine innings. Everyone’s clear about what constitutes winning. You don’t have to like or trust the other players; you just have to do your job.

Collaboration is quite different. You choose to participate. There’s no predetermined number of you who come together to collaborate. You all are comfortable playing several different roles depending on what’s happening at the moment. Each “game” is unique: You spontaneously address a problem or opportunity that has arisen. Leadership, roles, and time frames are fluid. There’s no telling how long the process will take. What constitutes “winning” is not clearly defined. How to get there is even less clear. Collaborators might have competing goals but stay engaged because of an emotional commitment to the undefined outcome. Perhaps most important, trust is at the heart of that emotional commitment. Collaborators trust each other. It’s hard to collaborate with Acquaintances and Associates (and almost impossible with Accidents). It’s much more likely to happen with Actives, Advocates, and Allies. A high level of trust is essential because it enables you to take risks and to be vulnerable. Trust provides a safe environment where profitable innovations and good ideas are born.

With trust, people take risks and show vulnerability—both necessary for collaboration.

When leaders call for more collaboration, they obviously want more than they have already acquired by buying collaboration software. We believe they want innovation—the inspired co-creation of new ideas—and outside-the-box thinking, silo smashing and breaking down barriers, less duplication of effort, better use of expertise and resources, and discretionary involvement and engagement.

Your network-based collaborations can provide those outcomes.

Acting on the Three Principles

In this chapter, you’ll find out more about putting the three principles to work. Introduced in Chapter 1, here again are the principles that will guide you as you do your job, build your career, and serve your organization.

1. Reframe networking.

2. Risk reaching out.

3. Reinforce the collaborative culture.

REFRAME NETWORKING

The first principle urges you to develop and commit to your new networker identity. Add these ideas to your belief system and act on them. Tell yourself:

1. “I am not my job title.” You’re a human being with endless potential and untapped talents. Because you’re not just a job title, you’re free to work across boundaries and become known for talents that might not show up in your job description. Marylou is a first-level manager in procurement and someone who is a whiz at learning new software packages. The director of marketing called Marylou and said “Help!” when he was baffled by the new program he was using to prepare a government proposal that had a short turnaround time.

2. “There is no ‘they.’” You’ve heard of “they.” As in, “When will they…?” “Why don’t they…?” Or, “If only they would….” In today’s organizations, there’s no “they.” There’s only Bill in IT, or Sue in sales, or Todd in the mailroom.

“They” language takes you off the playing field and relegates you to the sidelines. When you bench yourself, you give up your power or influence. When you make an appointment with Todd in the mailroom to work out a process for receiving those FedEx envelopes the minute they arrive, you’re in the game.

3. “Ideas belong to everyone and to no one.” In a February 2014 Fast Company article, author Leo Babauta describes the process of idea generation at Pixar Animation Studios. Your organization can operate like this, too. “When Pixar artists create characters, it’s not a matter of one artist sketching out how he thinks a character should look. They all sit around a table, each drawing ideas, putting them in the middle, and others taking those ideas and riffing off them. Dozens and dozens of sketches come out from this process, until they find the one that works best. This means everyone’s creativity builds on the creativity of everyone else. This can help you even if you don’t have a bunch of other geniuses to work with—find others who are creating cool things, and riff off them, and share your riffs.” So whether you’re trying to streamline the hiring process or invent new ways to work with vendors, adopt the belief that ideas are abundant and spring up faster when you collaborate with others.

4. “I seek out people unlike myself.” Lynnette got a LinkedIn invitation from a woman who said, “We know 56 of the same people. Let’s Link!” Hmmmmm.… Attractive offer? Maybe. It’s comfortable to hang out with people who are like you and who know the people you know. But Lynnette wondered if she wouldn’t rather expand her circles, if she wouldn’t be more likely to find business value if she spent time and energy getting to know people outside of her usual crowd.

Your WorkNet, OrgNet, ProNet, and LifeNet should assure you of a well-balanced array of contacts. If many of the people in your Nets have backgrounds and experiences similar to yours, be sure to add diversity to your definition of networking (and reread Chapter 3). Think about the possibilities. You can intentionally diversify your contacts with regard to age, race, gender, geography, function, culture, and interests.

Diversify contacts with regard to age, race, gender, geography, function, culture, and interest.

Diversity is its own reward. But Ron Burt says it also brings new value. Burt is a professor at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business where he researches the benefits of networking. Here are a few of the advantages Burt’s research promises you’ll enjoy when your network is made up of people with a wide variety of backgrounds, from a wide variety of arenas. You’ll:

   Move information faster and to more people.

   Spend less time and energy to get good results.

   Create tailored solutions instead of relying on one-size-fits-all answers.

   Hear about opportunities that expand your horizons and your skill sets.

   Be paid better and promoted faster.

Easier said than done? Use the strategies that follow to add more diversity your networks:

   Provoke serendipity. At least once a day, reach out and start a conversation with someone you haven’t met. Jason, who usually sat on the third row with the same group of buddies during the CEO’s monthly briefings, decided to sit in the last row, thinking, “I wonder who sits way back here?” Sure, it seemed like a small change, but he met a new person from a department he didn’t know much about.

   Go to somebody else’s conference. Sylvia had gone to the same annual conference for engineers for the past 11 years. Since she worked with lots of architects, this year she decided to attend the annual meeting of the American Institute of Architects. The new perspectives she found paid off as she interacted with architects in her firm and had a better understanding of their priorities and approaches. And one of her conference connections with expertise in designing churches partnered with her firm to bid on a megachurch project.

   Focus on special interests. Aasif, who works in finance, has a son with Down syndrome. He wondered how to encourage his firm to support the Special Olympics. He did some background research about the charity work of other companies. He talked with people in his OrgNet who were involved in deciding how corporate contributions funds would be spent. He built a network with several other parents in the company who had mentally and physically challenged kids. Together they launched an initiative that resulted in company sponsorship of the New Jersey State Special Olympics. A side benefit was that Aasif and the others in the Special Olympics network met new people throughout their company who became potential collaborators on other projects.

   Cultivate your curiosity. Look in the newspaper or online for information about a meeting of a group you’ve never been involved with. After seeing the troubles his brother had gone through, Wayne was committed to helping veterans get back into the civilian job market. He went to a gathering of volunteers of Hire Heroes USA and was introduced to a whole new circle of contacts. When Wayne liked what he saw, he encouraged people in personnel in his company to partner with Hire Heroes and soon a hiring initiative was launched.

   Tap your talents. Pursue a passion or hobby that will put you in touch with a whole new set of people. Andrea had always sung in church choirs, but when she heard about a jazz singing class for aspiring divas, she signed up. Andrea connected with a whole new circle of people who were very unlike her—though they had a love of jazz in common.

RISK REACHING OUT

Creative entrepreneur Nick Onken built his photography career working for giants like Nike, Coca Cola, and Lamborghini. He says, “You’re only growing when you’re playing out of your comfort zone. To close the gap between where you are and what you envision requires discomfort.” Your new networking skills will give you the confidence to raise the stakes and step out of your comfort zone. Here are four ways to create new value and act on the second principle, risk reaching out.

#1. Be a great connector. Wharton Professor Adam Grant says, “Despite the power of introductions, people often overlook introductions as a form of giving.” He was quoted in an August 2013 Huffington Post article, “The Giving Habits of Americans.” The article gives the results of a poll showing that rather than making introductions, “people are more likely to give help, knowledge, recognition, money, mentoring, and skills. Only 27 percent of Americans had made an introduction in the past year.” Decide that it’s your job to connect people, both inside and outside your organization and across your Four Nets.

#2. Make the investment pay off. Strategic connectors know that networking is not an event; it’s a way of being with people. But much valuable networking does take place at events like conferences, professional meetings, and social activities. Because you want to spend your time and money wisely, ask yourself, “What’s the dollar amount I’ll spend (or my organization will spend for me) this year to provide me with venues for extending my networks? How can I make sure I’m getting a return on that investment?”

What was the return on investment (ROI) for your networking expenditures last year? First you have to figure out much you “invested.” What were the places you went to find clients, learn more about best practices, hear about current business information that could affect the bottom line, or make your company more visible? To project your expenditures for this year, add up the amounts you spent last year on clubs, events, dues, memberships, trade shows, conferences, professional meetings, company retreats, receptions, luncheons, golf outings—any activity where your purpose was to build relationships for increased sales, to stay current in your field, or to find and share resources.

Devise a system to document that you are getting your money’s worth. Make sure you are keeping careful track of the benefits that have accrued—to you, to your team, to your project, to the bottom line.

Look for ways to increase your ROI. Figure out how to make sure the outcomes do more than merely offset what you spend.

#3. Find the BringBack. Much of networking focuses on outreach, but there’s a flip side. In today’s organizations, you are responsible for gathering valuable information and resources on the outside and distributing what you found on the inside. That’s your BringBack. Finding the BringBack means:

   Keeping your antennae up and being on the alert for anything that would be useful.

   Taking the initiative to determine who needs to receive it.

   Giving it in a way that encourages the recipient to use it.

You’ll find BringBack at all kinds of networking events, through reading, and online. You may come across it serendipitously, or you may go looking for it when you see a need. Or as you teach people in any of your Nets what you are looking for and interested in, they may present you with it.

Networking involves not only outreach, but BringBack.

Figuring out who needs the information you’ve found may be easy. You may know that Will is interested in online recruiting. You hear about a resource or an article and give it to him. Or you may discover something you’re sure is valuable, but not know who needs it. Ask some of your contacts. You’re sure to come up with the right person.

How to give your BringBack may be tricky. People worry that they might be stepping on someone’s toes or offering something that people already know about. Those kinds of worries inhibit the flow of information. Risk reaching out. Say, “I ran across something I thought you might find useful. May I send it to you?” Make sure what you offer contains enough specific information (correctly spelled name, telephone number, email address, website, etc.) that the recipient can follow up and check it out.

Look at the impact Janna and Yelena were able to have as a result of keeping their eyes and ears open for information and introductions that might help others.

At a Chamber of Commerce meeting, Janna, a CPA, learned that the new membership director wanted to reach out to young people in the business community and was interested in starting a group for them. Janna took that information back to a meeting of her practice area. The firm decided to buy a corporate membership in the Chamber and invest time and energy in support of HYPE (Helping Young Professionals Engage). The involvement by Janna and a few others from the firm brought many rewards: visibility in the community, new business leads, professional development opportunities, and eventually an award from the Chamber for their support.

Yelena, a software manager from one of the major international underwriters, spoke at a convention on new developments in cyber insurance. After hearing Yelena’s presentation, Julie introduced herself. Over lunch, Julie said that the credit union where she was a manager was worried about security breaches and needed the upgrades Yelena had described. Julie and Yelena got on their smartphones. They made email introductions to the right people in each of their companies, so the conversation could continue.

We don’t want to leave the topic of BringBack without giving some tips about how to boost your BringBack from conferences. In fact, we suggest you make a copy of these tips and hang it near your desk. Read it again the next time you’re going to a conference.

A conference puts you face to face. Take advantage of proximity to create the interactions that make the time and money you spend worthwhile.

   Figure out what you want to Get. Before you even leave town, jot down what you want to find: answers to challenges, solutions to problems, resources you need, and people you’d like to meet.

   Take along other people’s Agendas. Get more bang for your buck and build your relationships with colleagues who aren’t going to the conference. Collect their concerns, add them to your Get list, and hunt for answers for them.

   Get ready to Give. Fill out the other side of your Agenda—what you want to share with the people you meet: new resources, your special expertise, solutions to problems, and recent innovations and projects your organization is involved in.

   Design your own session. Before the conference, contact a speaker, a leader, an expert, or a counterpart from a similar organization and plan to get together. At the conference, ask interesting people you meet if they’d like to get together for dinner. Tell them to meet you at 6 P.M. in the lobby. Then go out to dinner with a dozen new contacts.

   Agree to split up. If other people you know from your company or professional association are going, decide in advance not to attend the same sessions and hang out with each other. Plan beforehand how you’ll deploy yourselves, cover as many sessions as you can, and share notes afterward.

   Put ideas to use. Get together with colleagues, either at the conference or afterward and have a “how are we going to apply this” brainstorming session.

   Pick sessions carefully. Focus on the knowledge you need and the skills you want to develop. Look for the right sessions that will force you to reevaluate, plan for the future, and expand your horizons.

   Ask the speaker. Let the experts help you solve a problem or meet a challenge. Ask the speaker out for coffee or link up with a couple of other attendees and set up a breakfast or lunch.

   Volunteer for a job at the conference. Helping out makes it easy to meet people, gain professional visibility, mingle with the leaders, and build a worldwide network. Choose your job carefully so that it helps you, not hides you in the back room. When Tim volunteered to pick up the general session keynoter at the airport, he had no idea that he’d be chauffeuring—and chatting with—Indra Nooyi, the CEO of PepsiCo.

   Find the big idea. Look for the one great idea that you can bring back and think of a way to present it to key people in the most effective way.

#4. Expand your OrgNet. “Some 86 percent of senior leaders say that working across boundaries inside and outside their companies is extremely important. Just 7 percent, however, believe they are very effective at it,” says a 2011 Center for Creative Leadership paper, “Declaration of Interdependence.”

We’ve also noticed that people’s OrgNets are often underdeveloped. There are a couple of reasons people may avoid this kind of boundary spanning. In the past, your organization may have had impenetrable walls between departments. Those walls formed “silos” or “stovepipes” that were hard to break out of. Now, with the command-and-control mode fading away, those walls are tumbling down. You may, however, still feel a reluctance to engage with people beyond your own area. Also, OrgNet contacts may be people who have job titles that are higher than yours on the organization chart. Talking “up” may feel uncomfortable (see Chapter 6, “Talking Up the Ladder,” for ideas). But your networker identity and new skills will make it easier when you decide it’s time to strengthen your OrgNet.

REINFORCE THE COLLABORATIVE CULTURE

“Be the change you want to see.” That’s more than an inspiring bumper sticker. It’s good advice from revered Indian political and spiritual leader, Mahatma Gandhi. And it’s the third principle in a nutshell. Act as if you own the organization. You make it what it is. Behaving as if the Network-Oriented Workplace is a reality is the way to make it real—and successful. If there’s a problem in your organization, don’t wait for others to take the lead. The business world is so competitive that you can’t afford to wait around hoping someone else will unsnarl a process that doesn’t work or uncover an emerging customer concern. You’re always in charge of taking the next step. Your innovation, your idea, the network you pull together could mean that your company wins a huge contract.

To make a difference, ask yourself the questions that follow:

How can I cut expenses? Les and Siddhartha were talking one day and wondered what the company was spending on individual bottles of water. They also worried about the negative footprint the plastic was making on the environment. The two colleagues asked their company to order and strategically place several water coolers and posted signs encouraging people to use their own coffee mugs and water bottles. Les and Siddhartha were acting like they owned the company or at least were in charge of the “supplies” budget. And in acting like that, they were.

How can I conserve resources? It’s easy to get used to the free flow of resources and supplies, but in the Network-Oriented Workplace, it’s your responsibility to keep an eye on the bottom line. In an October 2013 Forbes Magazine article, Meghan Casserly interviews CEOs about lessons learned. Founder and chairman Jim Koch, CEO of Boston Beer Company, told how he came up with his “string theory.” “In the middle of graduate school, I decided to take a break and became an instructor with Outward Bound. At the beginning of each four-week course I gave everyone a supply of Alpine cord (a kind of string for lashing gear, pitching tarps, etc.). Consistently, if I gave my group plenty of string, they would run out and need more. But, if I gave them less and told them they had only two-thirds of what they really needed, they would get incredibly creative and make that cord last. They’d splice, they’d share, they’d save; they’d forage for bits of rope left behind by others. Since we were on a tight budget in the early days, we used every piece of ‘string’ we had, and that created a corporate culture of innovation and creativity.”

How can I eliminate redundancies? As you get out of your silo and expand your OrgNet you’re bound to come across duplications of efforts and initiatives. When Susan got involved in leadership of the Women’s Network she realized that her company could save time and money by combining the orders for supplies for all nine Employee Affinity Groups. Everybody needed things like signs, nametags, and conference notebooks with imprinted logos. She also suggested to leaders of the other groups that they use the same caterer for all their events and save money with a volume discount.

How can I invent a new or improved process? Jo was asked to design a web-based orientation course for new hires. While she knew this change was motivated by budget cuts, she had a problem with the idea. She knew the “content” could be delivered in a podcast, but the bonding and relationship building that used to go on in her face-to-face classes would be missing, making the experience much less powerful. So she decided to create a cadre of Guides within the company. To this handpicked group she said, “When you become a new hire’s Guide, I want you to make sure he or she meets at least seven key contacts within the first month—two peers, two people in other divisions, two people who are two levels above them, and one ‘wild card’—anyone you choose.” By “meet” Jo explained that she meant a face-to-face (or if absolutely necessary, online) lunch meeting that would help the new person feel connected and acclimated.

How can I share what I have? When Ted couldn’t keep his temporary assistant busy for the whole day, he sent an email to others on his floor saying, “José has a couple of hours this afternoon. If you have a task he can do for you at his desk, please let me know.” Rachel, who works for a start-up handbag company in New York City, showed her sensitivity to scarce resources and the need for quick turnaround times when she told coworkers, “Late Monday I’m flying to San Francisco for two days. If you have any bags that need to get to the West Coast office quickly, I have extra space in my suitcase and can get them there by Tuesday morning.”

Build Trust Online

In today’s technology-driven world of work, you will often have the opportunity to create important value without ever meeting your colleagues and partners in person. When you say “yes” to a linking or friending request, you have an online connection. Or you may have virtual coworkers or teammates you didn’t choose, but who are part of your WorkNet. Turning these connections into trusting relationships takes more than a click. You can move from the Associate Stage to the Active, Advocate, or even Ally Stages with your online connections when you apply the same trust-building strategies you use to develop face-to-face relationships. Even when—or especially when—you are connecting online, teaching your contact about your Character and Competence is essential. When trust is established, you have a base for true collaboration.

Apply your face-to-face trust-building strategies online, too.

Gartner, the world’s leading information technology research and advisory company, predicts that through 2015, “80 percent of social business efforts will not achieve the intended benefits due to inadequate leadership and overemphasis on technology.” In a January 2013 press release, Carol Rozwell, Vice President of Gartner said, “There is too much focus on content and technology, and not enough focus on leadership and relationships.” Users are understandably wary of technologies that tout instant access to anyone, anywhere, anytime, with no regard for the Stage of Trust that they have reached with their contacts.

Whether you’re using internal social networking tools or external systems like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter, follow these guidelines to show the kind of Character and Competence that says, “Even though you and I haven’t met (or rarely meet) face to face, you can trust me.” Here are some guidelines for trust-building online:

   Show up human. Add words and phrases that show a wide variety of feelings. Have you ever said to an online contact, “I’m curious about….” Or, “I was so surprised to see that….” Or, “I’m excited at the prospect of.…” Since facial expression and body language are missing in digital communications, your at-a-distance contacts need those clues about what your face might be saying if they could only see it.

   Earn the right. When you ask for help, be sure you’ve earned the right to ask for that level of commitment, or time, or trust. Kena chose 22 photos for a marketing brochure. She selected five people in her OrgNet—all people with extensive customer contact—to take a look online and give her feedback on the photos. Kena made sure, since the process would take time, to involve people she’d helped in the past. Their responses led her to reject three of the photos and choose new ones that didn’t provoke unwanted associations in the viewers’ minds.

   Keep agreements. When you promise something, deliver. Timely, well-thought-out, and accurate responses show a lot about who you are and why you can be trusted. Just because you’re using a machine interface doesn’t mean your promises are any less important.

   Share your contacts. But be sure you’ve done your homework. Maretta saw that Anthony had requested ideas on how to find good speakers for the CEO’s retreat for top salespeople. She wanted to recommend a speaker she’d heard, but first checked out the speaker’s website, looked at his LinkedIn profile, and talked with a couple of others who’d heard his presentation. When she’d confirmed all her hunches, she got back online to give Anthony the speaker’s name and contact information, along with a strong endorsement.

   Give appropriately. Until you’ve gotten to know an online contact, be careful about the private information you reveal. And limit your offers of help until you develop the relationship. People may question your Character and Competence if you overenthusiastically or prematurely overwhelm them with your generosity.

   Tell stories. In Chapter 7, you learned the 5-S formula for constructing a story. That formula will help you come up with stories that teach something important about what you’ve done and who you are. Keep your stories short and upbeat. In online communications, there’s often a sense of urgency and a feeling of “we don’t have time for that.” Stories help you teach about your Character and Competence and learn the same about your contacts.

   Find the humor. Putting a smiley face emoticon into your message is one way to do it, but try coming up with something that shows a more personal touch. What would make the recipient smile? When the project Jon and Ray were leading was giving them headaches, Jon, recalling what comedian Groucho Marx once said, sent this message to Ray: “Only some of us can learn from other people’s mistakes. The rest of us have to be the other people.” On the other hand, be cautious about sending professional contacts those dog or cat videos you think are so adorable.

   Show you’re listening. Just as in face-to-face conversations, it’s a sign of respect when you do or say something to signal that you’ve been paying attention to what contacts have told you about their lives at work or outside. Alida said, “How’s your MBA program going?” Gene asked, “How are plans for your trip to Lisbon next month coming along?”

   Be tactful. Some people think that just because they’re not face to face, they have a license to be brutally honest. Just as in your face-to-face relationships, handling conflict with kindness and generosity shows your Character. Isaac Newton, mathematician and scientist, got it right 300 years ago when he said, “Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy.”

   Suggest a face-to-face meeting. If time, distance, and budgets don’t allow an actual onsite, use FaceTime or Skype or one of the other tools for “seeing” each other. A visual meeting like that will warm up a relationship and make it easier to collaborate with renewed energy. Be clear about the purpose of the meeting, so you don’t waste time, but also take time to get to know each other. People at one of the Big Four accounting firms are encouraged to chat a bit before getting down to work. They ask questions such as, “How’s your weekend shaping up? Got any plans?” Or, “How did you all fare in the big snowstorm last week?”

Mentor and Model

Have you ever stopped to notice the connection between the words “courage” and “encourage”? A little encouragement from others gives you the courage to be a better networker and collaborator. Cultivate a “one-for-all, all-for-one” mindset. Recognize that the more you and your colleagues look out for each other, the healthier your organization will be.

Use these strategies to mentor others and model the behavior you want to see:

Give special attention to those you know the best. It’s easy to take for granted the people you work with all the time. You do your job. Your coworkers do theirs. Routines set in. Everyone’s super busy. It’s hard to find time to relax, explore, and kick ideas around—the very behaviors that result in innovation. So find time to slow down, to look out and look up from all the details. Josh, the department director, announced that every Friday he was open for a YOLO Lunch. “What’s that?” everybody wondered. Josh said, “Bring your lunch, come to the conference room, and find out.” YOLO (“you only live once”) turned out to be a free-for-all for exploring new ideas. “The only ground rule is,” Josh said, “don’t talk about current projects.” Taking his lead, people came up with topics like these: “If we were to reconfigure our workspace, what would it look like and what could it accomplish?” and “What’s the least productive time of day for you and what could reenergize you?” The discussions resulted in surfacing problems and making changes for the better.

Convene a “coaching club.” Invite a few people you like from your WorkNet and OrgNet to a Best/Test brainstorm. Give everybody a turn to answer the “What do you do?” question and then give suggestions on how to make those answers even more memorable, interesting, and reflective of their Character and Competence. Often it’s hard for people to get enough distance from what they do to come up with a good answer. And coaching others will help you see how to make your answers better. And Mattias and George found that they could borrow each other’s answers when telling prospects about their firm’s accomplishments.

Offer “ride-alongs.” Debbie had just been made a vice president at the consulting firm she worked for. She remembered how hard it was to imagine going on sales calls when she first started with the firm 16 years ago. So she made it a point to invite one of the junior staffers to come along with her when she visited a prospect. As they traveled back to the office, she talked with the person about his impressions. She also told about how she transitioned from thinking of herself solely as an expert in mergers to seeing herself as someone who could bring in the business.

Encourage what you like. When you see someone do something that helps people or helps your organization, appreciate it. In animal trainer Karen Pryor’s book Don’t Shoot the Dog, she shows that, rather than punishing or ignoring behavior you don’t like, the best thing to do is encourage what you do like. Mike said to Reza, “I couldn’t have made that deadline without you. Thanks! And what I really appreciated is that you stayed so cheerful and upbeat—even when it got to be 11 P.M.!”

Value asking as much as giving. How many times have you heard someone say, “I got as much out of being a mentor as I did from being mentored?” Learn to ask for help as well as giving it. Who better to help you figure out a good next step for reaching out to a prospect than others who know you well? Who better to help you strategize who to add to your OrgNet than your coworker?

Team up at events. Jake, an expert on business valuation, and Tomas, an expert on taxes for nonprofits, worked for the same CPA firm. They made three agreements before going to a two-day conference. First, they agreed to split up and try to meet lots of new people. Second, Jake said, “Since I know the kinds of people you’d like to meet and you know the same about me, let’s be on the lookout for people that we can introduce to each other.” And finally, they agreed to give each other feedback after the conference. Tomas said, “Here’s a better client example to use when you introduce me to others.” Jake said, “Tomas, I know you think the fact that you look so young means people won’t take you seriously, but when you meet someone, I think you’ll put them at ease more quickly and warm things up if you include a smile with your handshake.”

Never go off duty. That sounds daunting, doesn’t it, but it’s true. There are no time-outs, no breaks, no excuses when it comes to modeling behavior you want to encourage in others. As philosopher Albert Schweitzer once said, “Example is not the main thing in influencing others—it’s the only thing.” On a Wednesday afternoon at IDEO, a design and consulting firm, someone from the C-suite joined a team for a brainstorming session. “His arrival in the room signaled strongly that helping is an expected behavior in the culture and that everyone is part of the helping network,” reported a January/February 2014 Harvard Business Review article about how the firm reinforces its helping culture.

Seek out heroes. Find people to learn from and put yourself in situations where others can just naturally mentor you. Michael Dell, CEO and founder of Dell, Inc., one of the world’s leading sellers of personal computers, advises, “If you’re the smartest person in the room, find a different room.”

As you put the three principles to work, you create additional organizational benefits from your networking and reap career advantages for yourself.