How to be more intentional about networking during these times of increased isolation
Back in 2014 Leah Kitolah connected with me via LinkedIn and after reviewing her profile I clicked “yes, let’s connect”. It wasn’t until last year when Leah reached out for help that our connection evolved from one that was highly transactional (a contact on LinkedIn) to one that was transformational (where we collaborated to create more together).
I went on to sponsor an event Leah was running in South Africa and as a result met some incredible people from her world. I shared some virtual learning all via my office in Sydney and I’m currently exploring a virtual opportunity to support a USA college with a series of learning and sharing events that will connect Leah and key contacts here in Australia and across the world via another contact I met whilst studying at Harvard Kennedy Business School. This opportunity and so many others are only possible because of my network and personal intentionality around nurturing relationships, listening deeply, and a never-ending curiosity about possibilities.
(Leah shares her story in Episode 071 of my podcast, Unleashing Brilliance).
Your network is key to your Success
Who you surround yourself with matters more than ever in this challenging and uncertain world. A world where we all being asked to ideate, innovate, sense-make, decision-make and results-make.
In a 2020 Harvard Business Review white paper, IT Talent Strategy: New Tactics for a New Era, Jim Whitehurst President and CEO, Red Hat shares, “In 2020, we find ourselves at an inflection point. Business innovation is no longer driven by our ability to predict the right technological path forward but rather by our capability to adapt to whatever changes come our way.”
The report identifies 5 talent practices to adopt, one being, “Shift the bulk of your training budget to critical non-tech abilities like communication, collaboration, problem solving, and networking.”
Absolutely!
Networking, relationship building and collaboration – critical skills to ensure the right support structure, personal advisory board, marketing machine and intelligence bank to help you…
…navigate this current acute emergency phase of Covid-19 and the next adaptive phase where we will all be forced to evolve to a new world of work and its implications in terms of organisational structure, working practices, leadership skill requirement and cultural demands.
Your network matters. Your ability to nurture relationships to unlock collective team, client partnership and your personal brilliance is where you will find the ideas and answers to navigate the next.
It was leadership expert John C Maxwell said, ‘Those closest to you determine your level of success, so choosing the right companions as partners in pursuit of your vision is an important decision. My advice is to surround yourself with talented people who will challenge you, help you grow and inspire you to maximize your potential.’
- How can you be intentional about networking when you are sat at home, self-isolating?
- Who are the right people to have in your network?
- Who are the people inspiring you to be better?
- Who is holding you accountable and exploring a path of possibility for you?
- Who is raising your bar?
The key people within your network
I believe there are 4 types of people you need in your network – for the record I highly recommend that these people are outside your familial world of mum, dad, husband, wife, partner (I explain more about why in my best-selling book It’s Who You Know)
Group 1: PROMOTERS
Seek out your own personal cheerleading squad. They are with you by your side through thick or thin, never giving up on you, always dreaming big with you. Promoters pull you toward your future dreams, make noise about potential possibilities, spend time with you to explore how you’re going to achieve your goals and inspire you to become more.
According to research from the Centre for Talent Innovation, people with promoters are 23% more likely to move up in their career than those without.
Group 2: PIT CREW
Climbing the ladder of success can be a lonely task. Now more than ever, the journey requires grit, resilience, determination and perseverance. We all experience days of frustration and disappointment, days when we have to face our fears, make tough decisions, push past failures and keep focused on opportunities that lie outside our comfort zone. Having the right crew to keep you mentally tough and balanced, is not just crucial — it’s essential.
Like a Formula One pit stop, your pit crew can make or break a race. They add stamina to run the marathon of your dreams; to navigate complexities and recover from setbacks. They help you learn from mistakes and keep pushing you on anyway. They celebrate your wins, remind you of your achievements and keep it real.
Group 3: TEACHERS
A life of continuous learning is essential to growth. It was Richard Branson that said, “The day we stop learning is the day we stop living.”
Harvard professor Linda Hill says, “You can’t think of something new unless you are being pushed to think in new directions, and you can’t do that unless you are engaging with people who have a different viewpoint.”
The right teachers teach you mastery, guide and stretch your thinking, challenge your ideas and encourage you to push further because they know that this constant curiosity creates real opportunity for growth, achievement and success.
Group 4: BUTT- KICKERS
Love them or hate them, we all need butt-kickers. These accountability buddies help us push through procrastination and distraction, they help accelerate the journey, encouraging you to do more and holding you accountable for all your actions.
Your butt-kicker is equivalent to your personal trainer at the gym. They count your push-ups and pull-ups, and they always make you do one extra for good measure.
Linda Galindo, author of The 85% Solution: How Personal Accountability Guarantees Success, believes butt-kickers are our secret weapon to success – “Working with a partner prevents the ready-fire-aim approach that a lot of entrepreneurs use.”
Do you have the right people in your network? Download this complimentary PDF explaining the Critical 4 key people you need to know.
Your network will suffer UNLESS you invest in it
Networking the right way unlocks opportunity for your career and business success.
If;
- You want to build your networking confidence
- You really hate networking and wish there was a better way
- You want to ensure you have the right people around you working for you versus against you
- You want to unlock the secrets to your networking success
..my 12 week networking challenge is just for you;
- Access to a Network Assessment Diagnostic to identify the current net-worth of your network
- Receive a personalised report detailing how well your current network is working for you and against you
- Receive 12 video lessons from me sent to your inbox every week with downloadable worksheets and tip sheets for you to print out, practice and save
- Listen in as experts share their networking advice via podcast
In these uncertain, complex and ever-changing times your network matters more than ever, You may be:
- trying to secure or even rebuild your business
- in the position of having to look for a new job
- wanting to secure your role and future within your organisation
- challenged to build client relationships and secure future pipeline
- questionning what’s next.
Your personal network matters more than ever and that is why I am offering this program at a discounted rate of ONLY $99 (normally priced at $149 and valued at $499).
SIGN ME UP – https://12week.janinegarner.com.au/
When we learn how to connect and network in the right way, that is when we end up being surrounded by people that matter. People who will help us achieve our goals personally and professionally. They will help our businesses, our teams, and our results go from where they are currently to where we want them to be.