2

Take a Strategic Approach

THESE CPAs aren’t the only ones who are finding that networking has been added to their job descriptions. Being good at the tasks in your job description is no longer enough. In the new collaborative environment, every job is Job + N(etworking). Whether you want to use networking tools to bring in the business or want to grow strong internal and external networks that spark creativity and lead you to feel more engaged, it’s time to professionalize your networking. The skills in Competency 2 will help you to overcome the biggest networking mistake people make—not being strategic.

In this chapter, you’ll learn more about networking to get the job done, to support career advancement, and to help your organization create new value. You’ll plan what you want to talk about, so that, whether you meet someone new in the cafeteria or see someone you know well at a networking event, you’ll be ready—and not just say whatever pops into your head. You’ll learn how to choose the networking groups that are right for you, and get visible. You’ll be able to decide if the groups you’ve joined are bringing you the benefits you want. And you’ll know how to take on big networking projects with big goals.

Networking in the Collaborative Culture

In this new, collaborative environment, your reasons for building deep and wide networks expand. Sure, you connect and collaborate to get your job done. Of course, a strong cadre of contacts will help you advance your career. And now, your organization is depending on you to use your contacts to create enterprise-wide benefits. Now you network not only for yourself, but also for your team, your department, and your whole organization.

Be a proactive—not reactive—networker.

Vow to be a proactive—not reactive—networker. For people in our workshops, it’s an “aha moment” when they realize they have been just accepting the networking situations and opportunities that have come their way. Serendipity is great, but when you focus your networking on getting the job done, supporting organization-wide priorities, and enhancing your career, you’ll accelerate and streamline making things happen.

Decide how to use your network, so you spend your time and energy well. You’ll probably have many reasons to network. Do you want to:

   Uncork a bureaucratic bottleneck?

   Make progress on a project that’s been sitting on your desk?

   Invent a new way of doing something?

   Pull together a group of people to solve an interdepartmental problem?

   Tackle a new assignment?

   Create a constant flow of referrals and new business?

   Launch a new program?

   Bring increased visibility or influence to your group or firm?

   Get the job of your dreams?

   Position yourself for a promotion?

Let’s look more closely at the role networking plays with your job and your organizational and career goals.

JOB + N: GETTING THE JOB DONE

As futurist Faith Popcorn once said, “Whatever you need to know, the answer is probably not in your office.” So one of the first things to ask yourself when you have a new project or responsibility is, “Do I know someone who might have a resource, an idea, or a contact to help me get this done?”

Pilar, a recruiter for a large engineering firm, needed to find summer interns and create a steady stream of candidates to fill entry-level positions. She reached out to the career placement specialists at several nearby universities in Montreal. One of the specialists at the university introduced her to Jacques, President of the Honor Society for Students in the Mechanical and Aerospace Programs. Jacques invited Pilar to be on a panel called “How to Succeed at Your Summer Internship.” Pilar’s firm also sponsored an event for the honor society, and she found that the more she got to know the career specialists, professors, and students, the easier it became to find and attract topnotch interns and job candidates.

Francesca’s manager asked her to come up with a process their department could use to assess which prospective vendors had the most advanced environmentally friendly operations. She spent the better part of a day online and was overwhelmed by the amount of information she found. So she decided to make a list of people she knew in her own organization who might know something about the topic. The next day, she called and sent emails to a number of people in other departments and divisions. What she found out surprised her. Across the entire organization, she uncovered three task forces focusing on purchasing from environmentally responsible sources. She talked with her manager, and they decided to work on bringing the groups together. Francesca commented later, “Using my contacts to avoid reinventing the wheel was an eyeopener. I’ll never start another project without first checking to see what’s already in the works.”

JOB + N: CONTRIBUTING TO ENTERPRISE-WIDE INITIATIVES

In the Network-Oriented Workplace, your reasons for building deep and wide networks expand beyond just getting your job done. No longer can you design your networks solely to serve your own purposes. Now you network not only for yourself, but also for your team, your department, and your whole organization.

An executive at a large Internet services company told us, “I want people to lift their eyes. I want them to look up from their desks and look laterally across the organization. I want them to pay more attention to how they can help with the larger issues. Our CEO wants us to double revenue in six years without incurring more costs. To make this happen people have to look at the big picture and take broader ownership of the business.”

Another executive told us, “I want people to get out of their cubicles and find out how what they’re doing can help or inform others in our organization. We’re only 360 people, but we’re not talking with each other enough.”

It’s your job to know what the big issues are and to figure out where and how you can contribute to them. Use the six questions below to explore your own organization’s key goals.

It’s your job to find the big issues and figure out how to contribute.

1. What’s up with my boss? Periodically, have a conversation with your boss about her projects and challenges and find out what’s coming down the pike. Scan your networks for contacts and resources that you might offer.

Linda knew that her manager was increasingly concerned about how to retain employees who’d been with the company from two to five years. When Linda attended a conference, she spotted a session on retaining younger workers and was able to bring back valuable ideas and contacts to pass along.

2. What are the big goals? Whether you work for an organization that has three employees or 300,000, you can bet that somebody has set some goals. Find them. They can sometimes sound quite inspiring, but vague: “Treat customers as we would like to be treated.” Or they can be very down to earth: “Improve new employee retention rate by 10 percent.” Some are general: “Improve customer service.” Some are specific: “Decrease our backlog by 18 percent.” Whatever they are, figure out how your work can impact them and how you can help.

Amira, the executive secretary to the county executive, noticed that her county had a huge influx of foreign-born residents. She knew the county’s customer service goals would never be met if staffers couldn’t speak the languages of the citizens they were trying to serve. She surveyed all 1800 employees to find out what languages each of them spoke and provided the list to every office. Then when someone speaking Pashto came in to get a contractor’s license, for instance, he could quickly be matched up with a Pashto-speaking staffer.

3. What’s in the company news? Review internal publications and newsletters. What is the CEO or agency head saying, either to internal or external audiences? What’s new on the website? Do you have hidden talents or resources in your networks that might position you to contribute to initiatives or that would help you come up with an innovative approach where it’s needed?

Clarence, in procurement, knew a lot about blogging with customers because of his special assignment in a previous job with another company. He reached out to Hugh, the new point person in charge of online customer contact initiatives, to offer his ideas and support.

4. What’s the scuttlebutt? Make water-cooler conversations count. Ask your colleagues questions that explore trends and new initiatives. Say, “What do you think it’ll mean for our department when the company opens the new office in San Francisco?” Or, “How do you think the new government regulations will affect our work?”

Greg heard through the grapevine that company leaders were talking about how to encourage healthier employee eating habits and lifestyles, so he offered to introduce someone he knew through his alumni association to the person in human resources who had been tasked with “the healthy project.” Greg’s contact was the executive chef at a farm-to-table restaurant in a nearby city. The chef consulted on new menus for the cafeteria featuring fresh foods, calorie information, and new, lower-calorie options.

5. What’s the industry intrigue? Put on your sleuth’s hat and find answers to questions like, “What are the industry movers and shakers saying? What do the pundits predict? What do experts say may make it harder for us to compete? Or easier? What changes will bring us a new kind of internal or external customer? What’s going on in the world that will most certainly change the way we do business?” Read business and industry publications.

When Kiri became VP of operations for a small jewelry manufacturing company, she read about recent trends in online purchases. She tracked the growth of Valentine’s Day gifts ordered online for the past six years. Based on those trends, she predicted that sales at her company could spike by as much as 12 percent in February. She was ready with a newly hired crew of part-time, short-term workers to fulfill orders.

6. What’s for lunch? Offering food turns a meeting into a time for people to relax and get to know each other. Order in some sandwiches and invite people from one or two other departments to join you. Learn more about what they do and how your work interfaces with theirs. Who knows what problems might be solved or innovations might be dreamed up?

Klahan, in corporate communications, sometimes felt blindsided by requests he got from people in training. When his group was too busy to respond immediately, he worried that they would be seen as unresponsive. Over a couple of friendly, informal lunches, his five staffers and the training team of four got to know each other. They came up with an easy way to share their annual project calendars, so there would be no more surprises or last-minute requests.

When you use your networking skills to create enterprise-wide results, you become a leader, not just an employee, no matter where you are in the hierarchy.

JOB + N: CREATING YOUR CAREER

As one of our workshop participants said with a smile, “Hey, if I get my job done and help with all those wider goals, won’t my career advancement just take care of itself?” Well, not exactly. Your career still needs special attention, a grand plan, mentors and sponsors, and people you’ve carefully educated to know the value you produce in the workplace.

Center for Talent Innovation CEO Sylvia Ann Hewlett in a May 2010 Harvard Business Review article recommends finding a sponsor, someone in a senior position who will introduce you to the right people and teach you “the secret language of success.” Companies such as American Express, Deloitte, Citibank, and Cisco all have these kinds of programs to connect high-potential future leaders with top talent who will smooth the path to the C-suite. Don’t leave your career to chance. Map out your steps to success just as you would for any other workplace project. No one knows better than you where you want to go next, what kind of work you enjoy most, and what types of new expertise you’d like to develop.

When one large defense contractor reorganizes or downsizes, people are told they must find a new internal position for themselves within two months or be laid off—a compelling reason to have built and maintained relationships across four geographically dispersed business units. It’s always a good idea to target a couple of jobs you would like to have elsewhere in your organization and become known to the managers. Also, if those jobs require new skills, you can get a head start on acquiring them.

Use the skills in this book to get in the driver’s seat and create opportunities that excite you. Most of us will get up and go to work for 10,000 days—or more. So why not make sure you’re doing work you like, with people you enjoy, toward goals you care about?

Put Some Purpose in Your Small Talk

Is your small talk too small? Unfortunately, there’s one conversation that everybody knows, word-for-word. It goes like this:

“Hi, how are you?”

“Not bad. How are you?”

“Not bad. What’s new?”

“Not much. What’s new with you?”

“Not much. Been real busy.…”

“Me too. Well, good to see you.”

“Good to see you. We’ll have to get together sometime.”

“Great idea. I’ll give you a call.”

“Well, bye. See you later.”

This is a conversation in search of a topic! Without a topic—or several—in mind that you want to talk about, you’ll waste your time in purposeless chitchat like that “one-size-fits-all” conversation.

To be strategic, get ready to talk. You think about what to wear. You look up directions to wherever you’re going. Why not plan ahead to have things to talk about? Have a conversation plan; it’s vital to starting conversations and infusing them with some purpose and some pizzazz. As one client put it, “Oh, I get it…. You’ve got to be prepared to be spontaneous!”

Your Agenda is your list of topics you want to talk about.

You can think of your conversation plan as your “networking Agenda,” a word we are using with a very specific meaning. Your networking Agenda is a mental or written list of what you have To Give and what you want To Get. Having a networking Agenda energizes and empowers you, so that you’ll benefit more from networking encounters. Using your Agenda will help you uncover the commonalities and needs that help trust grow. Keeping your Agenda in mind, you’ll feel comfortable and capable of enjoying yourself, making contact, gathering information, and seeking out opportunities. Since you have unique purposes, you will have a unique Agenda. Yours will reflect your background, your interests, your challenges, and your experiences, both in your personal life and in your work life.

Many people dread networking situations, in part because they wonder what to talk about. Actually, when it comes to topics, the problem is not that there’s nothing to talk about. The problem is that there’s too much to talk about! Hundreds of topics come crashing in on each of us every day via the Internet, newspaper, TV, radio, and junk mail. Often no one topic looks that much more interesting than any other. So it seems hard, maybe impossible, to select from all of the ideas racing around in your head. Having a networking Agenda simplifies the situation. And you automatically care about—and have energy for—the topics on your own Agenda list.

BEGIN WITH THE RIGHT SIDE

There are two sides to your Agenda; one labeled To Get and the other, To Give. Most people, as they think about networking, focus on “What’s in it for me?” That’s not the right place to begin. In fact, the second biggest mistake people make about networking (after not being strategic) is to think that networking is about getting. It’s not about getting; it’s about giving.

Giving—not taking—is the way to build your network. It’s not just a nice thing to do; it’s the smart thing to do. Psychologists have discovered a quirk of human nature that we call the Reciprocity Principle. It goes like this: If you give somebody something, he will try to give you something back. It gets even better. If you give somebody something, he will insist on giving you more than you gave him. Doesn’t that sound exactly like what you want to happen when you’re networking? To plug into the Reciprocity Principle, give first and give freely. You’re actually in control of only half of the networking process—the giving part. So doesn’t it make sense to lead with giving—something you control?

The Reciprocity Principle: When you give, people will insist on giving you back even more.

Keep at the top of your mind all you have to give, and give generously. Be helpful to others. Five years ago, an executive gave Ellen some career advice. This year, when she received the Employee of the Year Award from her company, she mentioned the executive in her acceptance speech, thanked him, and told how she felt inspired to mentor others because of his generosity early in her career.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO GIVE?

People often scratch their heads and say, “Give? I don’t know what I have to give.” To create your Give list, think about your accomplishments, skills, enthusiasms, interests, and resources. What are you so excited about that you’d talk to anybody, anywhere, anytime about it? Almost anything you are enthusiastic or knowledgeable about—in your professional life or in your leisure time—can become a good conversational topic. The things you have to give automatically become topics that help you connect with the people you meet. They also let people know what to count on you for. When there’s a lull in the conversation or when people say, “What’s new?” bring up a topic that’s on your Give list.

Janice is an engineer who works for a large firm in New York City. Notice that her Give list includes both personal and professional topics:

   A great course on presentation skills

   The best deli in New York City

   Fund-raising ideas for nonprofit organizations (she volunteers for one!)

   Innovative ideas for streamlining proposals and bids

   Running webcasts as an alternative to in-person training

   Managing summer interns

If you wish you had more to give others, it may be a sign that you need to spice up your life. Do more. Experience more. Learn more. Risk more. Learn a new job skill. Volunteer with a group whose mission you admire. Take that exotic vacation you’ve been talking about.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET?

After you’ve thought through what you have to give, it’s time to think about what you want to find, learn, create, connect with, understand, or know about. Just like your Give list, your Get list is also endless and ever-changing. To get in touch with what you’d like to get, look at your desk; look at your life. What problems are you trying to solve? What opportunities do you want to investigate? What are your upcoming challenges? What’s one resource, person, idea, or bit of information that you’d celebrate finding? Once you have your list, see how each one of the items is a potential conversation starter.

Alan is a supply chain management director for a global manufacturing firm. He just moved to San Francisco. Here’s his Get list:

   A buyer for my condo in Boston

   A good restaurant to take business guests to in Sydney next month

   Speakers for our annual vendor’s conference

   More warehouse space for our plant in Costa Rica

   An easy way to practice my Spanish

Your Give and Get lists create your Agenda and guarantee that you’ll have purposeful, strategic conversations. Don’t leave home without it!

WHEN TO USE YOUR AGENDA

Make an Agenda before you go to networking events, but don’t stop there. If you make an Agenda every day for 30 days, you will get used to coming up with items for your Give and Get lists. It will become automatic. Make it part of your breakfast routine. Take an index card and write your Give list on one side and your Get list on the other side. That way, you’ll be ready for any conversation. There’s always a bit of a risk in reaching out. You can make reaching out feel comfortable, instead of risky, by having an Agenda.

Plan your Agenda to get the most out of networking events.

Connect at ChoicePoints

Some conversations are more serendipitous and on the run. Every day you come to “ChoicePoints,” opportunities to connect and converse that happen spontaneously. ChoicePoints are those moments when you can choose to reach out to someone—or not. You’ll need your Agenda for these encounters also. To be a strategic connector, learn to recognize and respond to the chance meetings that happen every day. Think back over everything you did yesterday, every place you went, every person you saw. Do you take advantage of ChoicePoints like these?

   You’re standing in line with others waiting to enter the banquet at a conference.

   You’re sitting at the table with others waiting for a training class, meeting, or workshop to begin.

   You’re hammering nails with coworkers from all over the corporation at a Habitat for Humanity project.

   You see someone in the cafeteria you used to work with.

   You run into an old college friend at the health club.

At ChoicePoints, you choose to reach out—or not.

Of course, it may not always be convenient or even appropriate to reach out when someone crosses your path. You might be hurrying to get to a meeting on time. Or you might feel more comfortable doing some background research on someone you see at a monthly task force meeting before approaching her in the cafeteria. Even so, begin to notice how many opportunities for connection and conversation are right in front of you. What a great time to use your Agenda!

Here’s how some people in our workshops have told us they used their Agendas and took the initiative to turn a ChoicePoint into a connection.

   Jim, a senior analyst, heard a couple of interns in the hall wondering where to go to lunch and invited them to join him.

   Leila stopped by Joan’s office to learn more about the recent course she had taken on negotiating skills.

   Weng from the 12th floor rode the elevator down with Lou from the 10th floor and offered to give him a ride to the all-hands meeting across town, so they’d have time to talk.

   Anna made a point of sitting next to Virginia at the departmental meeting, so she could invite her to the next Women in Technology meeting.

As you add conversational skills to your repertoire, your comfort level in taking advantage of ChoicePoints will rise. Keeping your Gives and Gets in mind will make spur-of-the-moment encounters more valuable. You never know what might come from deciding to strike up a conversation with someone as you walk in from the parking lot, or when you invite a new employee to lunch. Remember to risk reaching out.

Some companies actively set up opportunities for ChoicePoints for employees, knowing that casual conversations often lead to new ideas and projects. An April 2013 New York Times article, “Engineering Serendipity,” tells about researchers at Arizona State University, who asked people to wear “sociometric badges” that measured all sorts of things: movements, speech, patterns of conversation. “Participants felt most creative on days spent in motion meeting people, not working for long stretches at their desks,” said Ben Waber, a visiting scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and cofounder of the company that makes the badges. “Employees who ate at cafeteria tables designed for 12 were more productive than those at tables for four, thanks to more chance conversations and larger social networks.” Waber’s studies show that productivity rises when the number of people you meet during the workday increases. Combine more chance meetings with honed relationship-building skills and the results will show up, not only in higher productivity, but also in increased engagement, collaboration, and innovation.

You can create more ChoicePoints in your life by noticing the possibilities in the areas listed below.

Hobby/Health/Sports Activities. Some of Pat’s first customers, when he started his home-based graphic design business, were the people he’d met singing in a barbershop quartet. As you enjoy leisure-time activities, remember to teach others about your skills and talents and listen with an ear for how you can contribute to the quality of their personal and professional lives. Listen also for resources and ideas you can take back into your workplace.

Sondra and Marilyn both showed up at the health club at 6 A.M. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. They could have just continued to exchange pleasantries, but instead used their exercise time to develop a relationship through which they supported each other’s journey as new managers. Even though they worked in very different companies, they shared many of the same people challenges. Two years and lots of miles on the treadmill later, they knew that the confidential support and advice they’d given each other had been crucial to their professional growth and success.

Kid Connections. Your son plays on a soccer team or takes swimming lessons. How many times have you waited impatiently for the coach to end practice when you could have been developing your relationships with other parents?

Kudos to Amy whose sidelines conversations with Jackie resulted in Amy providing management training for Jackie’s organization—even though their daughters were on rival teams!

Seatmates. There you are in the airplane for three hours, elbow to elbow with a fellow traveler. Sure you might want to read or nap, but remember that a lot of people build business relationships with people they meet on airplanes.

On a trip to New York, Bob sat next to David, a sales rep for a box manufacturing company. Bob told David he was looking for a heart-shaped box for his company’s new specialty food product. David sent him the specs the next day and got the contract.

Wild Cards. Seeking out ways to network with people whose views, interests, and backgrounds are completely different from yours broadens your horizon in unexpected ways. As you make contact with people outside your regular circles, each conversation becomes an adventure. Assume that everyone you meet is important. These wild card contacts can be winners. Anywhere people are is a networking opportunity… if you have the know-how.

Alan Cole, a strategy consultant in Washington, D.C., told us, “People like who they know, but they don’t know who they like.” He was referring to people’s propensity to seek out people like themselves. He says it’s like a default setting: “Deep in the system is a setting you forgot you clicked on long ago, and now it rules you and limits who you reach out to.” Seeking out Wild Cards is a way to open yourself to new experiences. “First you make your choices, then your choices make you,” Cole says.

ChoicePoints are, by definition, one-on-one encounters that arise out of proximity. But you can also intentionally put yourself in situations where you meet more people.

Connect in Groups

By joining groups, you more closely target the kinds of people you want to meet and develop relationships with. For any given job type, industry, business, or interest, you’ll have many possible groups to choose from.

Jon is a partner in a mid-sized architectural firm in Baltimore, Maryland. He specializes in designing hospitals and has a personal and professional interest in landscaping. He could join the American Institute of Architects, and any of its many special interest groups. He could join the Board of Trade, and the American Institute of Landscape Architects, and the local Rotary Club. He could join the American Association of Hospital Administrators, and the Chesapeake Healthcare Association. Then there’s the group that’s restoring plant life along the Chesapeake Bay. Or how about the Lion’s Club? Or he could join the alumni group for his alma mater, Boston University. Or how about a referral group? Jon has many possibilities. You do too. Jon needs a process to narrow down the choices and find the best groups for him. So do you.

CHOOSE GROUPS STRATEGICALLY

Use the list that follows as you make strategic choices about groups to become involved with outside your organization. These groups have membership rosters, leaders, and regular meetings. To reap the benefits, you’ll need to do more than attend; you’ll need to participate. Don’t be a knee-jerk joiner, taking the first thing that comes along or making the easiest choice. Not all groups are equally useful for networking. Your choice will depend on your goals and on the characteristics of the group.

Not all networking groups are equally useful.

The possibilities below are arranged from the most highly structured and intentional groups at the top of the list, to the least network-focused groups at the bottom. The groups at the top focus on bringing people together to do business; the groups farther down the list have other goals and networking becomes a sideline. Groups at the top will actually teach you how to network and outline appropriate behaviors. In groups farther down the list, the ground rules are foggier, so the more skilled at networking you are, the more successful you’ll be.

As you read down the list below, think about which groups would fit your purposes best.

Customer Common Groups. These groups are made up of businesses that have customers in common. For instance, professionals who support people though all kinds of business and life transitions, such as a CPA, an estate attorney, a real estate agent, and a business consultant, might band together to refer work to each other. These groups are usually created by the members themselves. If your goal is business development, you may want to start a group like this.

Special Purpose Networks. Some networks are created with one purpose in mind. In Chicago, for example, entrepreneurs started a special network to attract venture financing. Another example is a group of 12 editors, who all work for alumni magazines at large universities, and who talk online and meet face to face twice a year to share resources, ideas, and support. Some of these special purpose networks are formed by members themselves; others rise out of associations and industry organizations.

Business Referral Groups. Small- or home-based businesspeople, sales professionals, or people in professional services benefit most from these groups. A referral group’s mission is tightly focused on getting business and generating referrals for and from each other. Only one business in each professional category may join. For example, the group might include one banker, one lawyer, one accountant, etc. At meetings, members learn about each other’s services. A commitment to attend and generate leads is essential to the success of the group.

Networking Organizations. These groups often have the word “networking” in their names. They may have other goals, too, such as professional development for members, but their main goal is to provide relationship-building opportunities. To help people get acquainted, these organizations may offer special interest subgroups, such as for people doing business internationally or for recent college graduates. One women’s networking organization in Kansas City had as its motto: “The thing that sets us apart is the people we bring together.”

Professional and Trade Associations. Whatever your job type, whatever your industry or profession, there is a professional association for you—probably several. Ask experienced people in your chosen field to recommend which one—or ones—would be right for you. Watch the business section of your newspaper for meeting announcements. Check the Encyclopedia of Associations, or go to the appropriate professional group’s website for membership information and to find the chapter nearest you. The goals are professional development, networking for career and business resources, and sometimes lobbying.

Industry-Specific Organizations. These organizations put you in touch with people in other companies in your industry. An aviation association, for example, brings together people from all of the carriers, as well as related businesses. Because they face similar problems, these people can be great resources for each other. Participation in one of these groups could lead to upward mobility, since there is usually a lot of opportunity for job movement between similar organizations. Becoming active could also give you access to all kinds of state-of-the-art resources, best practices, novel ideas, and information to help you do your job and to improve your overall organization. Within these industry-specific groups, there often are subgroups for people with various kinds of jobs—a purchasing group, for example. These subgroups give you an entrée to your peers and leaders across the industry.

Chambers of Commerce. Whether you’re self-employed or work for an organization, the Chamber will welcome you. Although this group’s mission focuses on civic improvement, economic development, and legislative initiatives that favor business, at Chamber meetings you’ll come in contact with people from a wide variety of workplaces with a wide variety of interests. Networking is certainly a big part of the picture.

Civic and Service Organizations. These groups include such organizations as Rotary International, the Lions Club, and many others. They focus on service to the community and civic improvement. In a relaxed, informal atmosphere, you’ll have conversations that help others trust you and, long term, can lead to job opportunities, new customers, and access to all kinds of resources.

Volunteer Groups. Volunteering is a way to blend a passion for giving back to the community with the chance to learn new skills and establish long term business relationships. When Simon agreed to help build new play equipment for the community park, little did he know setting up the swings with Martin would lead to a contract for his company to videotape corporate presentations at Martin’s company for the next five years.

Alumni Groups. A special kind of camaraderie grows out of having attended the same school. Alumni clubs put you in touch with people of all ages and walks of life. Although these clubs focus on promoting the school, raising funds, or supporting the teams, networking for business benefit is also an important part of the mix.

Religious Organizations. While business may not be the first thing you talk about at your house of worship, it’s undeniably true that being active in a religious community does establish relationships from which businesses and careers may eventually grow. Bob and George got to know each other so well at choir practice, that when George was asked to open up a new division for his company in Paris, Bob introduced him to his brother Michael, who’d lived there for 20 years; Michael helped George find an apartment and make new friends.

What’s impressive about this list is the variety of groups you can join. To find the right networking groups, associations, or organizations for you, check the Internet, the phone book, your local library, or the business pages of your newspaper. Ask other people in your profession what organizations they benefit from the most. Ask customers and clients what groups they belong to. There may be an “associate member” category if you are a supplier or vendor.

EXPLORE IN-HOUSE GROUPS

Some groups are inside your organization, like the Hispanic Employee Resource Group or a community of practice. Even if you work from home or work at an office far away from others on your team, you can still benefit from belonging to some groups in your organization. The people you meet will learn what kinds of things to come to you for, what kind of projects to collaborate with you on. You’ll hear about big initiatives and new trends.

Roberta was a new hire at a large insurance company. She figured that a good way to better understand her job would be to learn more about the big picture. She joined the Women’s Innovation Network (WIN). “It gives me a sense of purpose outside my day-to-day work. WIN makes a big promise,” Roberta says, “but it really comes through. The website says, ‘Knowledge tends to remain hidden until it is asked for and shared.’ That’s why WIN exists—it’s an exchange of ideas and a web of relationships.” After just a year of participating, Roberta knows she’s gotten good tips about advancing her career, and she’s found people to collaborate on some enterprise-wide projects.

CHECK IT OUT BEFORE YOU JOIN

Once you’ve identified a few groups, remember that you are about to place a very talented person—you—in a key position, so look before you leap. Attend a couple of meetings as a guest. Talk to new members and board members. Read several issues of the newsletter. Scan the membership directory. Before you hand over your—or your organization’s—money and commit your time, assess the group’s potential value to you by answering these questions:

1. How many members are there? (In general, the bigger the better for networking, but it may be easier to move into leadership positions or gain visibility in other ways when you join a smaller group.)

2. Can I get excited about the group’s mission? Will its activities help me reach my networking goals? Are people in the group likely to provide valuable resources or information?

3. Are people in the group likely to need my product or service or to refer business to me? What do people say about the group? What’s its reputation in the profession or community?

4. What opportunities will the group offer me to associate with my peers? With the well-known gurus in the field?

5. Does the group set a good networking culture by encouraging people to introduce themselves and talk to each other about important business and career challenges?

6. Does the group have special activities to help newcomers feel welcome and meet people?

7. How easy is it to participate? How quickly could I move into a leadership role that would give me visibility, access to best practices, and introductions to people I’d like to know?

8. Do the leaders seem genuinely excited about their participation or are they playing “somebody has to do it?”

9. Are the programs cutting edge? Do the topics and speakers provide valuable professional growth? Will they offer best practices I can take back to my organization?

10. What would my time commitment be? Can I make that commitment for at least one year?

11. What exactly could I contribute to this group in order to become visible?

ORCHESTRATE WHO KNOWS YOU

Joining a group doesn’t mean you join anybody’s network—or that they join yours. But membership does give you a place where you can develop relationships with your fellow members. Great networkers work on making themselves valuable and as a consequence, memorable. Joining a group helps you expand the number of people you know and the number of people who know you, if you use your participation to:

   Demonstrate your skills and expertise.

   Find new resources and best practices.

   Showcase the products and services you and your organization offer.

   Establish your reputation with people you want to network with.

   Attract new employees and new vendors.

   Discover new career directions or make a job change.

   Gain recognition for your accomplishments and successes.

So take a high-profile role in groups you belong to. Write an article for the newsletter. Provide a program. Be the person who figures out how to attract lots of new members. Get elected to the board of directors. Set up a job bank, if your group doesn’t have one. Enter your work in the annual awards program—an excellent way to become known for your abilities. Demonstrate your speaking skills, your budgetary wizardry, your organizing expertise, or your leadership prowess.

When people see you in action in a group, they make up their minds about who you are—even if they’ve never been personally introduced to you. If you do a great job as treasurer, people will assume that you are also an excellent IT manager or an outstanding sales professional. Conversely, if you’ve promised to do something, but don’t come through, people will assume that you are not a competent attorney or public relations practitioner either. It’s the All-or-Nothing Rule: If you do one thing well, people will assume you do everything well. Take heed: If you do one thing poorly, people will assume you do everything poorly.

The strength and expanse of your networks depend on how many people know you so well that when they come across interesting resources or opportunities, you pop into their minds as the person to share them with.

Make the Most of Your Memberships

You probably already are a member of several groups. Knowing what you know about all the possibilities, it’s time to assess those groups to see if you are getting what you need from them. Take a look at Mitchell and Mary’s memberships.

Mitchell, an immigration lawyer, has two goals: to gain “key player” status in the field of immigration law for himself and his firm, and to attract new clients. Figure 2–1 highlights his involvement in five organizations.

Mary is a quality assurance supervisor in a health care corporation. She’s also a certified management coach and active in accreditation programs. Figure 2–2 highlights her involvement in five organizations.

ASSESS YOUR BENEFITS

Create a similar chart of your memberships, making notes about the nature of your participation. Then itemize the benefits of belonging to each organization. Are you getting what you want from these organizations? If not, are they the wrong ones for you? Or do you need to find more strategic ways to participate? Does being involved contribute to your goals or have you outgrown your need for and interest in the group? Don’t start joining new groups if you haven’t taken advantage of the opportunities in groups you’re already a part of. Another question that will help you assess your participation is, “Where have I developed the most profitable contacts in the past?”

As Mitchell looked over his involvements in Figure 2–1, he decided that although Alumni Association events were fun, he’d be more likely to find new clients elsewhere. He noticed that his reasons for joining the Board of Trade were working out well. Several new clients in recent months had come from his activity in that group. He felt the Bar Association was still a must. He decided to continue his involvement with Casa de Maryland, realizing that the community service was very satisfying, even though he hadn’t even thought of that as a goal. Reviewing his membership in the American Immigration Lawyers Association, he realized that he was spending too much time on the program committee and that he’d rather get involved at the national and international level, since his firm now had offices in San Francisco and Mexico City. Probably the biggest outcome for Mitchell was that he decided to start a monthly check-in process with his colleagues at work, so they could work together to deploy people to many different networking groups. As the firm grew, he could see the value in being known and visible in many different organizations.

Decide if networking groups are paying off.

Look back at Figure 2–2. When Mary took stock of how the groups she was in served her purposes, she decided to postpone her involvement in the International Coaching Federation until she got closer to her retirement date. And since she had cochaired the United Way campaign at her company for the last four years, she decided to bow out of that in favor of getting active in a couple of the Employee Resource Groups that had interesting programs and would help her get more of a big-picture view of the rapidly expanding organization she worked for.

Over time, you’ll find that you outgrow organizations or that a group just isn’t paying off for you the way you’d hoped. You may discover that you haven’t been as active as you should have been to reap the benefits you desire. This kind of evaluation is part of being strategic about your networking. Make it an annual event to assess what your memberships are doing for you.

Choose Your Goal

You are CEO, president, and chairman of the board of your networks. So customize them to fit your needs. They won’t be duplicates of anybody else’s networks. They will include a unique set of contacts developed for your unique set of reasons. Your goal determines the scope of your networking project.

If your networking goal is small, it might require only a small networking project—one that can be accomplished in less than six months and is made up of only a couple of activities. It will require only a limited number of networking contacts (a KeyNet; see Chapter 4 for a full discussion) and a limited amount of money, time, and effort. Wanting to benchmark your department’s processes and procedures, for example, you might put together a group of several people in your professional association who have similar jobs. As each person hosts one meeting and provides an overview of his department, you’ll all get a better idea of how your workplaces measure up.

If your goal is medium-sized, it might require a larger networking project—one that could take six months to a year, with a corresponding outlay of money, time, and effort. Say you want to fulfill your department’s new objective: “Raise the visibility of our bank with small business owners.” You could create a networking project that includes a variety of substantial activities. You might join the Chamber and immediately volunteer for a committee that plans Chamber programs for small businesses. And you might put together—and get bank sponsorship for—a workshop for members of the Home-Based Business Association. Over time, you’ll be able to open up many opportunities to meet small businesses owners.

If your goal is very far-reaching, you’ll need to create a large-scale networking effort—one that might take several years and require commitment, perhaps even self-sacrifice, not to mention money, time, and effort. These big, long-term, life-changing efforts are what we call “Strategic Positioning Projects” (SPPs for short). They include many kinds of networking activities, pursued with high commitment. They will position you to be the natural and only choice when opportunity knocks.

PLAN YOUR STRATEGIC POSITIONING PROJECT

Here’s how to get started planning your big project to reach your big goal. There are many kinds of networking activities you can select from as you pursue your SPP. You can even put together a group to help you brainstorm what they might be. Or glean ideas from stories in the business press, such as the Wall Street Journal or Fast Company. Or ask colleagues or mentors for ideas. Or borrow models and adapt ideas from what others have done. You’ll find dozens of ideas throughout this book.

Design a large-scale, long-term networking project.

Use your contacts within your organization, your community, your profession, or your industry to do some preliminary research about possible activities. Then, outline your networking options. Projects evolve. You’ll constantly be tweaking your SPP as the months go by. When we interviewed hundreds of networkers, we noticed that their SPPs had similar characteristics. Most of their big-time, long-term, networking efforts could pass at least four out of the five tests discussed below.

1. The Doorway Test. To pass the Doorway Test, ask yourself, “Who do I need to know? Who are my ideal customers, clients, or employers? Where will I find these people? Where do they spend time? How can I go where they go and become visible to them?”

Ideally your SPP will position you so that the people who can help you achieve your goal will just stream by. Find—or create—a “doorway.” Put yourself in that doorway, so you meet the right people and they begin to know you and trust you.

Find or create the “doorway” that the right people pass through.

Melinda, a partner in a CPA firm, didn’t have to look far to find the “doorway” that would lead to her goal: a constant stream of women business owners as clients. She asked a longtime client to propose her name for the board of directors of the Women’s Business Center, whose mission is to guide and support women business owners. The board position gave her credibility and visibility. Melinda also taught classes at the Center on financial matters for growing businesses—whether they were start-ups or pulling in revenues of a million or more. As woman business owners became familiar with Melinda’s expertise, quite a few selected her as their CPA.

To pass the Doorway Test, figure out where you’ll meet the people you want to meet and make yourself so central that they can’t help but notice you.

2. The All-or-Nothing Test. This test expands on the ideas in the All-or-Nothing Rule we mentioned earlier: If people see you doing one thing well, they will assume that you are good at everything; if people see you doing one thing poorly, they will assume that you do nothing well. Ask yourself: “Is my SPP a vehicle for demonstrating my value and abilities? Even if my networking activity has nothing to do with my exact area of career expertise, when I’m involved in this activity, will people just naturally make the leap that I must be good at my work?”

Evan wanted to become known to government human resources professionals who could hire the trainers and consultants his firm placed. Over many years, he became active in the Training Officers Conference, a professional group that meets monthly and has an annual conference. He showcased his approach to training and development in a luncheon speech he gave for the group. He became known to others by working on the Awards Committee. He soaked up information on trends and challenges from the many professional development programs he attended and from the conversations he had with contacts. He looked for ways to support other members and funnel good information to them. His long-term commitment to the well-being of the group and the people he met there made many in the group think of his firm first when they needed training and consulting services.

Do one thing well and get a reputation for doing everything well.

To pass the All-or-Nothing Test, be sure your SPP gives you a way to showcase your abilities. Then, perform brilliantly. That way, you’ll get a reputation for doing everything well.

3. The Bottom-Line Test. To pass this test, ask yourself, “Can I arrange the time in my schedule and do I have the money in my budget to support my SPP? Will my networking efforts take me one step closer to my goal?”

Louisa is a financial planner whose long-term goal is to be invited to give a daily two-minute financial tip for women on CNN. To prepare for that opportunity, she found a networking contact to propose her as host for a monthly show for women on her local cable TV station. She’s developed a circle of contacts at the station and is learning from them everything she’ll need to know. Louisa estimates that her SPP will cost her about $5,000 this year and take about two days a month. That’s a substantial investment, but she’s confident that the experience she’s gaining with her show will lead to a syndicated show and ultimately that call from CNN.

To pass the Bottom-Line Test, make sure you are spending your time and money in the best way to reach your goal. Put together an SPP with a big impact.

4. The Five-Year Test. To pass this test, ask yourself, “Does my SPP set the stage for the very special phone call I want to receive in three to five years?”

Jon, a director in finance, was looking for a way to make a bigger contribution to his organization and to prepare himself for promotion. Nothing surprising about those goals. But his SPP took a unique approach. He knew that his CFO was increasingly concerned that their company wasn’t on the cutting edge of using technology to make decisions critical to the business. Jon decided to get ready for a job that didn’t even appear yet on his company’s organization chart—“techno-finance chief.” He started making his plan in 2009 after reading a survey from his professional association that outlined new technologies that could impact the role of finance in organizations.

With his CFO’s support, Jon began to build his expertise through attendance at conferences and in other ways. He focused on business analytics, using data to predict, not just to report. He built strong ties with the IT department and collaborated with several individuals on purchasing software. He used the resources of his professional association repeatedly, interviewing people in other companies, and participating in a focus group with his peers. In 2014, he got the call. He was promoted to VP-finance/technology. His boss had been his strong advocate throughout this long process and acknowledged that Jon’s growing expertise and innovative work had benefitted the corporation in many ways.

To pass the Five-Year Test, be sure every activity in your SPP helps to create that all-important phone call down the road.

Your project will make you the natural and only choice.

5. The Pig-in-Mud Test. Ask yourself, “Does my SPP represent a magnificent blend of my unique personal and professional interests and passions? Does it represent who I am, what I value, what I like to do, where I want to go, and what I do best? Will my SPP make me ‘as happy as a pig in mud’?” If you have seen pigs in mud, you know what we mean. They wallow. They roll. They close their eyes in ecstasy. They are happy, content, comfortable, and want to be right where they are and nowhere else.

Morris, owner of a mortgage company, graduated from a university 15 years ago. An active alum and avid supporter of the university’s basketball team, he had a strong network of contacts in the Alumni Association. He created an SPP that helped his alma mater, gave him a way to expand his business in a very natural way, and made him very happy. Here’s how it happened. It came to his attention that the president of the university didn’t have any discretionary funds to use for worthy projects that came up from time to time. So Morris offered to start a fund called the President’s Club. Through networking, Morris assembled a group of generous donors who created a fund for the president to use on innovative projects that would improve the university’s visibility and attract talented students. When students wanted to enter a robotics contest in Japan, the president offered to buy their supplies and their airline tickets with money from the fund. Imagine how the president bragged about his students when they won the contest! Imagine how grateful he was to Morris for creating the fund! In his fund-raising campaign, Morris found that alums often asked about his business and some wanted him to handle their mortgages. Morris expanded his business, so that he could do mortgages in many states and took his business to a whole new level. To pass the Pig-in-Mud Test, be sure your SPP makes you happy in life and at work!

In case you thought that great connections “just happen,” or that “some people are just in the right place at the right time,” we hope you’re now convinced that being deliberate and intentional is the way to get results. As Alvin Toffler, futurist and former associate editor of Fortune Magazine once said, “You’ve got to think about big things while you’re doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction.”

Notice that, in the Network-Oriented Workplace, your job has become Job + N(etworking) with three strategic focuses—getting your work done, getting to contribute to organization-wide goals, and getting ahead. You network casually at ChoicePoints, and in groups, both inside and outside your organization. You plan for these interactions by making Agendas, and you bring all your networking and planning skills to bear as you use networking to reach your big goals through Strategic Positioning Projects.