In a meeting this afternoon, a successful builder observed: “We’re doing a lot of networking; everyone is right now. We’re doing it mostly with peers. We have the time, and it’s cheap, so we’re doing it. But I wonder if it’s really helping, or just making us feel better because it keeps us busy?”
I scribbled: What’s the difference between “good” networking and “bad” networking?
The difference is intention. Is your intention to give or to get? Too many people approach networking as a way to “get” something from others. Impatient for an introduction, a lead, an opportunity, a job, or a referral, they expect too much, too fast. The most successful people I know seek to “give” – and they do it before they need to ask others for help. They look for ways to be an asset to key people in their personal and professional lives. They make deposits in what David Nour calls the “relationship bank.” What I’m seeing is a lot of people (myself not excluded) who have failed to build adequate “social capital.”
In his recent book “Relationship Economics” David Nour observes, “An obsession with transactions first and relationships later often tends to distance us from other people instrumental to our personal and professional success.” For anyone interested in more “good networking” it’s worth reading. But don’t expect any quick fixes. According to Nour: “Relationships are an investment. Read the prospectus, aim to enhance your portfolio of relationships, and diversify and build for quality, not just quantity.”
Next time you’re tempted to “network” consider developing a “strategic relationship plan” instead. Or at least, read Nour’s book before your next lunch.
Filed under: strategy Tagged: | networking, sales
