The Only Thing We Have to Fear is… Networking???
The famous quote attributed to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States, goes:
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
Yet, when I mention the word “networking” to people (clients and otherwise,) it appears the modern version of that famous line is “The only thing we have to fear is NETWORKING!”
I’m not kidding. The reaction to that word is often visceral and expressed both verbally and through negative body language.
I’m not judging. It’s understandable. To be honest, I don’t love networking. But I DO recognize it as a critical activity and strategy for managing my career and my business. In fact, you might be surprised to hear this statistic:
Networking accounts for 70-80% of all successful job moves.
And so, because it is such an important component of having a successful and fulfilling career, the challenge isn’t to necessarily overcome one’s fear of networking, but instead to change their relationship with it and step outside their comfort zone!
This past summer, I launched a LinkedIn poll to 1) validate the premise that people ARE in fact leery about networking, and 2) gain more insights to the top reasons for this. The results:
#1 – “I don’t know what to say!” – This was the top poll answer by a mile.
#2 – “I’m introverted / shy.” – Another popular poll response.
#3 – “It feels ‘icky’ asking for help.” – Several respondents noted an awkwardness around networking.
I’ll add another: A MISCONCEPTION about what networking really is. It’s easy to build something up in one’s mind about how big / scary networking is. At the end of the day, though? It’s quite simple:
“Networking” defined = meeting, communicating, and forming connections with other people; and building, fostering and maintaining relationships with others for mutual benefit.
Now that you have a better understanding of what networking actually is, here are some steps to getting more comfortable with it:
1. Define WHO is in your network. It’s broader than you think it is, trust me! The more people who know what you want from your career, the more assistance there is available to you to achieve your goals!
2. Identify WHAT your options are for networking. It doesn’t have to mean some mammoth group event at a conference center! Think about one-on-one in-person or virtual coffee meetings, small MeetUp groups, even events like weddings!
3. Practice your HOW. Perhaps you’ve heard of an elevator speech? You’ll want to have one (less than a minute long) to introduce your networking discussions. Think about how you’ll frame what your goals are, and how the person(s) with whom you’re networking might help.
4. Set some realistic goals for yourself. If you’re new to networking, think about starting with just 1-2 one-on-one conversations, and adding a handful of new connections to your LinkedIn profile each week.
5. Download Empowered Results with KAT’s FREE guide on “Networking with Confidence” for more details on ALL of these ideas! (click here)
Now, get out there and get ready to CRUSH your next networking conversation; you’ve got this! 👏