Could networking be fun?!
I am an INTJ. You read this right. Most people are surprised when they hear me declare my Myers Briggs “type”. They say: “Caro, no way. You communicate so easily with others”. INTJs are rare, they are often referred to as the architect or mastermind. They are characterized as broody Wuthering Heights types who take refuge from the crowds. While I — — well I used to be a class representative in High School. You get the picture: I am a well trained introvert.
But this is not the focus of this article. What I really want to talk about is networking. I learned how to network like a pro while serving the Senate Finance Committee (sounds fancy, I know!) of the US Congress in 2005- 2006.
Capitol Hill is a place like no other. You have to befriend people from the other side of the aisle (translate this: who serve the OTHER political party). You constantly attend brown bag luncheons, conferences, events at think tanks. You cannot afford to isolate. You have to attend these events, whip out your business card and engage in small talk with people. The objective is to befriend them, decipher their (hidden) agendas, build alliances. I wonder whether I still have one my fancy business cards with the golden emblem of the US Senate. They were very fancy!
Most importantly, I learned that networking can be fun when done right. I recommend investing a bit of energy into your approach to networking. This way, it will not take up too much time — and you are in charge of its outcome!
Et voilà my guiding principles:
Know your values and what you stand for
Give first
Give more than you take
Be authentic
Do your homework (before reaching out to new professional contacts)
Help others connect
Leverage all of your existing networks — formal and informal ones
Communicate with your contacts on a regular basis
Focus on quality, not quantity
You don’t need 999 contacts in your LinkedIn network — it is much more advisable to have 400 solid ones.
Does this sound doable to you? I took this inventory of my networking principles recently when a French friend asked me about my approach. I hadn’t even been aware of them.
If I had to focus on the key ones, I would reflect on my values and what I stand for, and always give first when interacting with others in a professional context.
We all probably remember that one person on LinkedIn that reached out to us with a request, and we had never interacted with that person before. Always give first before you ask someone for a favor. Know who you are and what you stand for.
I am convinced that networking is not rocket science! If you want to learn more, I created a short online course pertaining to the topic. Good luck!
My favorite articles:
Dorie Clark: “Reinventing your personal brand”. Published in Harvard Business Review in 2011. Link.
Herminia Ibarra: “The authenticity paradox”. Published in Harvard Business Review in 2015 . Link.