FIREPROOF!
The Art of Networking

What is the REAL secret of having a successful career?

• To work for a very stable company?
• To have numerous clients/customers?
• To be ‘on the radar screen’ for succession planning at your employer?

Although all of these factors will certainly help your career, they are not the key to enjoying long-term success by becoming “fireproof.”  That key is YOU!

Regardless of whether you work for a large company, a small firm, or yourself; no matter if you’re in sales, finance, administration, or another department, you are your own best asset. Like any asset, however, its value must be appreciated and marketed to capitalize on its full potential.

When you embrace this fact, you will become “fireproof.” You will be so valuable to your company that, even in uncertain economic times, you will likely keep your job (and hence, become “fire-proof”).  Furthermore, you will be fireproof in the other sense of the word: You won’t “crash and burn” in the midst of corporate actions such as widespread layoffs that result from mergers or downsizing. You will already have a network in place that allows you to segue into the next, best opportunity.

There are many ways to become fireproof, covering many different perspectives. I’ve chosen to address one area—what I call “The Art of Networking”—simply because it’s often overlooked, misunderstood, misinterpreted as shameless self-promotion, or viewed as a waste of time. As an executive coach and seminar leader, I have witnessed many individuals who have unconsciously sabotaged their careers by trying to sidestep this skill-set.

As a tool to reach out to others from your strengths and your marketable skills, networking will help you become more valuable within your organization—and make you more visible to others when future opportunities arise. Without networking, your career path will likely be unnecessarily difficult, with roadblocks and obstacles that take your time and sap your energy.

An executive named John contacted me recently for help on his career path. He felt he had hit a brick wall, and no matter how hard he worked or what he did, nothing was advancing him toward his professional goal.  He told me he worked 24/7—the first to show up in the morning and the last to leave. When his boss was promoted, he had assumed that his tremendous productivity made him a “shoe-in” for his boss’ position.  You probably guessed what happened: John was overlooked for the promotion. 

What John couldn’t see at first is that he had assumed that others would automatically recognize him and value him.  The problem was he hadn’t bothered to build a network of people who could champion him in times of transition.  John didn’t value others as much as he did his productivity, and so he had three strikes against him:

1. He never invested time in building a personal relationship with his boss. 
2. He lacked visibility with senior management.
3. He was not seen as a team player amongst his peers.

Today, if you ignore the importance of building a network, you’re likely to put your career in peril. Opting out of extracurricular activities because you believe in separating business from pleasure doesn’t build alliances with key influencers.  When succession planning discussions take place behind closed doors, you want to make sure that you have champions, especially your boss, to promote your talents in front of senior management.

Your Network is Your Net Worth!

“If I had to name the single characteristic shared by all the truly successful people I’ve met over a lifetime, I’d say it is their ability to create and nurture a network of contacts.”

A strong personal network can help you tap into the best ideas or put you in front of those people who can give you a hand as you ascend the corporate ladder.  However, strong personal networks don’t just happen in cafeterias or the company picnic. The art of networking requires a carefully constructed plan incorporating activities that showcase you in front of a diverse group of people. 
Do you tend to surround yourself with people like you? This could very well limit the likelihood of getting perspectives from people who are different from you. Consequently, it could limit your exposure to those networks that might be able to take your ideas and turn them into new opportunities.

In How to Build Your Network, authors Brian Uzzi and Shannon Dunlap suggest that you seek out those people who act as “information brokers”—people who have the connections that can make your ideas a reality. Like everything, building an influential network is an art that must be mastered.  It doesn’t just happen, but the more time you invest in it, the bigger it grows.

Form Partnerships with Key Internal Stakeholders

“Get someone to toot your horn and the sound will carry twice as far. ”

If you’ve ever wondered why some individuals succeed while others falter, the answer is often so obvious that we miss it.  All too often, failure results simply because someone has not dedicated time and energy to forming partnerships with key stakeholders within their company. All of us need to recognize that our existing skill set—our technical abilities and knowledge—that got us to our current position might not be enough to elevate us to the next. We often forget that winning support from colleagues and senior management are essential for our next level.

Whether you are enamored by your boss or not, remember to make your boss the hero in your stories about accomplishing a project or winning a new customer account. Making your boss “look good” –recognizing his/her leadership—can be the catalyst to help you get promoted. You can dramatically increase your chances of success by understanding the lay of the land. Some call it being “political” while those who get the promotions see it simply as being “strategic”. 

Thought provoking questions to ask yourself...

1. What can you be doing more of to expand your internal network?
2. What internal committees can showcase your talents?
3. What external associations/charities can provide you with greater exposure?
4. Who do you need to develop stronger working relationships with (or need to repair) in order for you to be more effective in your job?
5. What three individuals are significant to your career growth who could serve as mentors?

Fireproof Networking Tips

1. Increase your chance of success by creating alliances and nurturing relationships, both within your organization and externally.


2. Diversify.  Expand your network and don’t limit your contacts prematurely! You never know whom you might need in the future.


3. Share your expertise, share your resources, and share your contacts.  If you share openly with members of your network, it will naturally be reciprocal.


4. Leverage your membership in associations by choosing activities that help you meet people in ways that are comfortable for you, give you visibility and showcase your character and competence.


5. Become your best PR person. Keep your network informed on what you’ve been doing.  They will keep you in mind for opportunities based on what they know about you. 


6. Discipline yourself to keep excellent records using Outlook or a simple Rolodex.  Record how you met, who they are and topics you discussed. Stacking up business cards will be a waste of time if you don’t keep information about them. This will provide you with a frame of reference when you wish to follow up.


7. Similarly, ensure that you keep yourself updated on what they have been doing.  You may miss an opportunity by not keeping current files.


8. Become a master of first impressions that is engaging, confident and positive. Seek out professional assistance to insure that your visual presence has impact and presence.


9. Differentiate yourself in some way. Be astute and reach out to your network by demonstrating that they are important.  Use their names, remember their birthdays, and send articles that relate to their interests.  Not every initiative has to be business related. 

Hone Your Interpersonal Skills

If you are ready to extend your professional circle, it’s easier than you think. It begins with honing your interpersonal skills—your ability to connect and communicate with other people. How you engage people in small talk will set the ambiance and tone for any personal encounter. Building rapport is the foundation of all relationships. It’s as simple as extending your hand to meet people, allowing them to enjoy who you are, and making them feel important. Find common ground, whether it’s intellectual curiosity, parenting or sports. Remember that we tend to trust those people who are most similar to ourselves.

Adopt a healthy attitude:  Second to the fear of public speaking comes “small talk phobia.” For many reasons, people avoid engaging in small talk, claiming that above all, it is a waste of time. Yet often the biggest deals are signed on the golf course or at dinners where small talk serves as the common success factor.  Look at schmoozing as a fundamental strategy to expanding your network.

Topic Selection: To master the art of small talk, keep yourself updated on topics such as human interest stories, entertainment, sports, major news items and current events.  Do your homework so that you are prepared ahead of an event to increase your confidence in speaking with and approaching others. Avoid topics such as politics, race, religion, abortion, gender sensitive issues, sexist jokes, and negative current events, and never ask about (or refer to) weight, age, marital status or income.

Assume “host behavior”: Treat everyone as a guest in your home. Take the initiative to approach others first and make them feel comfortable with you. Get the conversational ball rolling first, and you’ll be appreciated by those who are more reserved. Use people’s names and always be the first to offer to shake hands. Make your handshake memorable and sincere.  Hold on for the length of time it takes to learn the color of the person’s eyes. 

Small Talk Starters…

Need help with small talk? Here are some questions (which I’ve excerpted from Barbara Ann Kipfer’s book, 4000 Questions for Getting to Know Anyone and Everyone). You only need to remember a half-dozen, but I believe this book would be a wise investment for anyone.

Personal

Sports

Fun

Are you a frequent theater-goer?
Do you have a favorite author?
During which movie did you laugh the most?
What movie can you see over and over?
What music do you prefer to listen to?
What’s your favorite book and why?

Childhood

Where did you grow up?
Who had the most positive influence on you as a child?
What was the craziest thing you did in your youth?
What has changed most about the neighborhood you grew up in?
What did you do during the summers as a kid?
What warnings and old wives’ tales were you taught growing up?

School

Did you have a favorite teacher that stands out in your mind?  Why?
What was the toughest course you have ever taken and how did you get through it?
What one subject would you have wished you studied?
How did you pick your college and what was it known for?

Family

What stories were told about your grandparents?
What family tradition would you love to continue and pass on?
What family heirlooms do you have and how did you get them?
What is something memorable that you experienced that your children will probably never get to experience?

Travel Questions (from Sky Delta May 2006 issue)

What is the most beautiful or striking landscape you’ve seen from the air?
What sort of books do you take on the road?
Is there a particular historic/picturesque/romantic/artistic place you’d like to see?
What can’t you leave home without when you travel?
What has traveling made you appreciate that you didn’t appreciate before?

Conclusion:

Even if you only use ONE of these questions, you will be able to ditch those boring opening lines of “What do you do for a living?” or “What’s new?” or “What great/lousy weather we’re having…” You will impress others with your expansive repertoire of small—but significant—talk!

The more you invest time preparing for small talk, the more spontaneous and natural you’ll sound. Be proactive! In short, prepare an “agenda” so your small talk is smart talk.

Adopt an entrepreneurial mindset of continually marketing yourself and your expertise in order to master the Art of Networking and become Fireproof!  But most of all, allow yourself to enjoy the potential for wonderful new relationships.

Don’t forget that…

The Art of WOW Conference is scheduled for this month on June 20th and 21st.  If you are interested, there still is time to sign up.  Just call Jan at 1-800-844-2206.