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Just from simply seeing the word “network” many
immediately get nervous and uneasy. Most of us would
rather give a speech to a large audience than “work
a room” filled with strangers. However, building a
network is not about your ability to “work a room.”
It is about your commitment to cultivating
relationships that will serve you for life. Most
people don’t think about building a network until
they are in need of one. In most cases, that can be
too late. Making connections that will benefit your
professional goals is not as difficult of a task as
people think. It does though require time and
commitment.
Why should you build a network?
Most senior level opportunities are found through
networking. In fact, almost 90% of senior executives
find their next opportunity through a personal
contact. This could be a former co-worker, vendor or
your neighbor next door. However, most people do not
actively work at maintaining or building their
network while employed. Senior executives remain
heads-down in their companies focused on achieving
their goals, and in turn ignore their career goals
and critical relationships that will aid them in
moving towards those goals. With the average tenure
of a senior executive position lasting only three
years, it is important to have a network that you
could turn to quickly when it becomes necessary.
Networking is not only important for finding your
next opportunity, but will also aid you in your
business. The relationships you build can lead to
increasing the visibility of your company in the
marketplace, winning new accounts, or building a
network of trusted advisors in which you can seek
council on issues that are critical to your business
success.
How to build a network:
First, start with what you have. Make a conscious
effort to keep in touch with former colleagues,
service providers, clients, school alumni, etc. Set
realistic goals for how you plan to keep in touch
and then remain committed to those goals. For
example, call five people from your network each
week and send out e-mail to your network several
times a year. This e-mail could include an update on
your current situation, an interesting article that
you have read that might be of value to them or a
holiday greeting.
Expand your connections and create new
relationships. Find a local professional association
to join and commit to attending on a regular basis.
Most associations meet on a monthly basis so the
time commitment will not be too strenuous and after
a few months, you will notice a difference in the
relationships that you have built. Remember that the
purpose of attending these events is not to just
make new contacts. The purpose is to build
connections and relationships. You will not connect
with everyone that you meet. However, with those
individuals that you do connect with make sure that
you follow up with them and keep in mind ways that
you could be helping them achieve their business or
career goals.
The most important part of joining an association is
to find a group that makes sense for you. There are
associations that cater to specific industries such
as The American Electronics Association for
technology or The Life Sciences Industry Council for
healthcare/life sciences. There are also specific
functional associations such as: The Forum for
Corporate Directors created specifically for CEO’s
and board members; Financial Executives
International for senior financial executives; or
the National Human Resources Association for senior
human resource professionals.
Donating your time to a non-profit is an excellent
way to give back to the community while expanding
your professional network. The Volunteer Center in
Orange County has created a special program for
senior executives to serve on boards of local
non-profit organizations. Their Board Connection
program trains and matches senior executives to the
board that is the best fit for them.
Regardless of your position or industry expertise,
the question isn’t if you’ll need a network, it’s
when. Making time to invest in building
relationships is critical in helping you reach your
business objectives and long-term career goals.
Remember, it’s all about relationships!
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