Contrary to the misconceptions of awkward social encounters, networking is a fundamental and invaluable skill that everyone should cultivate, says Jean Evans
Businesses, organisations and most people deem networking to be a soft skill, but it’s not. It’s a power skill.
People think that networking is an awkward social moment or an icky sales conversation. They mistakenly think that networking is about schmoozing and being sleazy. That it’s about going to the odd event, handing out business cards and expecting something to happen.
However, networking is one of the most fundamental, valuable and necessary skills you’ll ever develop. It makes you powerful.
The foundation of success
Networking is like the foundations you put down for a house. You cannot build a house without solid foundations. Similarly, you cannot build a successful business or stellar career without networking because no one is successful by themselves or achieves success without the support and help of others.
Networking to win
Networking enables you to become more self-aware and develop emotional intelligence, which will assist you in using your voice while helping you understand your personal brand and what you bring to the table in your organisation.
You’ll grow a community and tribe of people who’ll support you and your career and who will be your sponsors and advocates while allowing you to become a problem solver and trouble shooter within your professional career.
A personal journey
How we connect with others is deeply intimate, so learning to network is highly personal and nuanced. There isn’t a right way or a wrong way for you to do it, but you have to learn how you want to do it.
We all have different backgrounds that influence how we connect with others, whether it’s the environment in which we grew up, our education, our friends and family or our work.
Confidence
You might have noticed that I haven’t mentioned anything about more business or promotions. They are also wins when it comes to networking, but none of the tactical and technical stuff comes before you develop your confidence and self-awareness.
Confidence is the name of the game. Understanding yourself and what you stand for allows you to make intelligent and conscious decisions about what aligns with your values, your priorities, and this allows you to make good choices and set appropriate boundaries.
Jean Evans is a Networking Architect and founder at NetworkMe