Get yourself connected

by Walter Sonyi, Jr.

There is nothing new about networking - haven't we all heard that it isn't what you know but who you know? The difference is that networking today has taken on a new magnitude of importance. It has been described as an "art", a "way of life", and some people even make claims for its spiritual value. It is something more than a business lunch and less than a political campaign, and it is a subject everyone seems to have an opinion on.

So what, exactly, is networking? Essentially, it is the modern term for making lots of business acquaintances, the understanding being that if you amass enough of these acquaintances, you will derive enormous opportunity for financial and personal gain. Of course, amassing them isn't quite enough: you have to work them correctly. Here is where networking becomes a science, understood by a new breed of professionals with bulging databases who have the credentials to represent the industry of the truly connected. These gurus bring us such compelling concepts as "bootstrap", "pigpen" and "power" networking. Despite the jargon, the prodigious literature on the subject does throw up several recurring themes, which you might do well to remember when prowling for that crucial contact or planning a major change in the course of your career.

Such events are all very well, but what if joining a networking group sounds like worse torture than a Britney Spears novel (yes, it does exist)? Can't you survive perfectly happily going about your job with diligence and skill and leave networking to the extroverts and the name-droppers? Well yes, up to a point. But if you want your career to thrive, you really have no option but to continually extend your range of contacts, whether you like talking to strangers or not. The good news is that you don't have to get to know anyone very well. You don't have to reveal deep truths, or even to possess any. You have to know people, lots of people. You will be known by who you know.

Malcolm Gladwell, in a brilliant New Yorker article entitled Six Degrees of Lois Weinberg, describes the "power in relationships that are not close". He recalls the 1974 classic Getting a Job by sociologist Mark Granovetter who reported that some 56% of professional and technical workers he interviewed in a Boston suburb had found their jobs through a personal connection. These opportunities mainly came about through what Granovetter calls "weak ties".

"Granovetter argues that when it comes to finding out about new jobs - or for that matter, gaining new information, or looking for new ideas - weak ties tend to be more important than strong ties" writes Gladwell. Think about that. We generally reckon that the most important and influential people in our lives and careers are those we are closest to. But these people tend to have similar interests and move in similar circles to ourselves. The real power of networking lies in an ever-widening circle of acquaintances, improving the likelihood that, following the logic of the six degrees of separation, you too can associate yourself with anyone in the world. Granovetter calls this "the strength of weak ties".

If, like me, you're convinced that networking is a necessary, if somewhat painful, activity, which may just reap unknown benefits in the future, then it, helps to be familiar with some of the techniques employed by the experts.

John Naisbitt, author of Megatrends, offers some sound advice: "In the networking environment, rewards come by empowering others, not by climbing over them." Herein lies the first rule of networking: the "givers gain philosophy" or as William Blake's puts it, more elegantly: "Always give without remembering, always receive without forgetting." If you set out to share what and who you know with other people, the chances are they will reciprocate, or at least remember your generosity when the time comes for you to call in a favor.

Just opening your mouth at an event full of strangers can require a lot of courage, especially if you are naturally shy, or feel you're the last person anyone will want to talk to. However, BBC radio producer Carol Stone, in her recent book Networking: The Art of Making Friends, points out that "the sternest people melt when they think you could be interested in what they have to say". If you have listening skills, then it shouldn't be hard to show them off when you find yourself in a networking situation. And be prepared to make the first move. "Do you mind if I join you?" is seldom met with the answer "yes, I do". Your own introduction then gives the other person the chance to launch into their story, and you're away.

Most of the networking gurus repeat another golden rule: keep your promises. How often has a person said they'd do something that might make a real difference to you, then completely forgotten about it? We're all guilty of it from time to time, and this is where good organization comes in. I know someone who is constantly interrupting conversation to write names and ideas in a tiny notebook - this gets irritating after a while, but at least he's the kind of person who does what he says he's going to do. Stone maintains a database of over 14,000 names, from which 1,000 get the coveted invitation to her Christmas party. When you operate at this level, there's no option but to manage your network of contacts like a military operation. The rest of us should just be sure to write down who we've met, with any action points, as soon as we can after the event. Waiting until the alcohol has worn off is not a good idea.

Some people approach networking as they would hunting. They beguile their way into their prey's company, stalk them until the perfect moment, and then pounce. I prefer a horticultural analogy: cultivate a wide variety of plants, and the chances are some will bloom or bear fruit when it matters.

So, when you next find yourself with the opportunity to network, don't fall into the habit of speaking only to those you already know. You can open up exciting new worlds for yourself: all it takes is some effort, a positive attitude, good manners and a little organization behind the scenes. All of which are easier to cope with than the school reunion or a round of golf. Unless, of course, you like that sort of thing.

Staff Review by: Joseph (Joe) Kran, Lawrence (Larry) Maglin and Rick Spann