Networking Pro-Tip: Don't Wait, Anticipate!
Timeless and timely networking advice from the Pro-Tip archive.
Networking gets a bad rap because...it's a self-focused activity undertaken in the company of others.
And sometimes in our anxiety to make a good impression or in the stress of wanting to do a good job or getting a call back, we become immensely tangled looking inward that we completely forget that networking is a two-way street!
It involves other people, not simply our needs, desired outcomes etc.
So to break out of your networking fixation on yourself, start thinking about what the other person needs:
- For example. You've requested a chat with a mentor. Why don't you send over the topic(s) you want their guidance on in advance of the chat, rather than springing it on them when you actually meet. The upside for them, they can start thinking about answers, and calculating the real length of time needed for the discussion.
- Another example. Your boss schedules a weekly team meeting. Can you offer to gather responses or agenda items? What about following up on the items from a prior meeting? Can you report outcomes or send along additional ideas (rather than your boss having to ask or inquire).
- And another example. Between assignments or deals, can you forward information of interest to a client (could be about them, or a competitor or their industry).
Look around. Observe what others are working on, scrambling to complete, sweating out the details on. Think about creating opportunities to connect with a "if it was me, trying to complete what they are working on, what would I need right about now?".
Don't simply wait for opportunities, or to be asked, proactively create connections by anticipating needs.
