Dread Networking?
(Our co-founder Harish writes this post based on his personal experiences over the last decade; listen to the post above)
Can you make networking a deliberate habit?
I quit my last corporate job in March 2010. So it's been almost a decade of living 'on my own' i.e. being solely responsible for my professional growth. If I had to pick one thing that I learned the importance of - it is networking.
In my work at CTQ, I need to do idea networking as well as 'schmoozing'. While I don't know how good I am at it, I can definitely claim to have deliberately built a system around it.
Here are six things that helped me:
Make time for it: The first step. When I didn't understand the importance of networking (and expected the world to align itself to suit my aspirations), it was a chore. I felt that the time, effort and mental bandwidth that I needed to travel and meet people could have been used elsewhere. When I realized and acknowledged that this excuse was actually the introvert in me trying to avoid being with people, it was easier to set aside time for it in a guilt-free way.
Attend events: There are some low-value events where people seem to be on a mission to hand over and collect business cards. Don't fret over them. These events (and these people) do a great job of putting you off networking if you are a novice/introvert. Don't let them do that. I see them as a rite of passage. You might have to attend some of these to get a first-hand experience of what not to do. Get better at this by deciding what you want to accomplish at an event (who and what kind of people you want to meet, what kind of serendipitous meetings do you want to allow for etc.).
It's not always about new people: Networking is not just about meeting new people. It's also about nurturing bonds with people you know well. Make a list of such people and ensure you connect with them at the right frequency.
Be curious: Scheduling and setting aside time is fine but one of the big fears for introverts is what do you do when you are with someone. Everyone who writes about meeting people will say that you should be curious about the other person. I fully agree. Do your homework. Use social media to find out about what's happening in their lives, or think of something that will be of interest to them.
Help others: When you meet people, look for ways in which you can help them. You could make connections or offer honest feedback. Don't be a favour-auditor. It's not worth trying to keep track of who helped you, when, and by how much. It's much easier to default to a 'helping mode' and think of always paying it forward.
Gamification: One way that I keep all of this interesting is by creating small games for myself. Can I have a meaningful conversation with someone whose political views I disagree with? Can I use this meeting to visit a new restaurant? Can I learn more than 5 new things from this meeting?
Have you worked on being deliberate about something like this? What has helped you? Tell us!