Networking Pro-Tip: Take A Hard Look At Your Networking Habits
Yes or no, are your networking habits creating a powerful path forward?
When we think about how networking for women differs for men, we almost always fixate on the old boys’ club and chummy power-broker activities that exclude women.
Flush that vexing fixation - 'cause your career ambitions need your networking attention focused elsewhere.
What women need to laser focus on is the composition of their network – who’s in it, who they can turn to for critical insights, who they are turning to for guidance and support, and where are they devoting time to get to know others beyond their usual go-to outlets or sources of information.
This is what I covered in recent posts - The Dual Power of Networks and What High-Achieving Women Know About Their Networks.
A quiz (whether you've digested those posts or not) regarding your current networking habits (as yes, your network says a lot about where you are today, and where you're headed).
Answer the following questions with a Yes or No:
1. Do you have access to new and fresh sources of information?
2. Are you saying yes to the same commitments you said yes to 5 years ago?
3. Does everyone you turn to for advice, know every other person you turn to for advice?
If you answered Yes to questions 2 and 3, it’s critical to shake off your old networking habits and usual fallbacks, as those choices could be holding you back.
What’s mission critical for women with big ambitions?
Here's what I've learned (based on a whole lot of research):
1. Women need to position themselves in critical information loops within their industry. They need to be choosey when selecting which committees or associations to join, and smart by stepping out of commitments strategically.
2. Meeting new people and getting comfortable with relationships stalling at acquaintance is essential. Every new connection doesn’t need to become a BFF – you simply need to know who these people are, and what they’re capable of. And they need to know the same about you.
3. Building relationships with like-minded career women whose networks and career path don’t precisely mirror your own. Whether you’re navigating a climb up the corporate ladder or scaling your business, women need an inner circle who bring their unique experiences and individual networks to the table to help each other out.
How do your networking habits hold up? What needs to be switched up, to powerfully move your ambitions forward?