Grow Your Future: The Secret to Better Networking Results with Less Frustration
Do you want to know how to build a professional network from scratch? The first steps are understanding what a network really is and why you need one.
Let’s begin with gardening. (Stay with me. It’s all connected).
How is your network like a vegetable garden? The goal of a garden is a good crop of vegetables, but first you need to plant seeds and tend the garden.
When you plant a garden, you expect to have vegetables at the end of the season. You don’t water the seeds one day and then get angry two days later when you don’t see any tomatoes.
You take care of the plants, give them what they need, and then some of them will produce tomatoes.
You also don’t plant tomatoes and expect to get zucchini. You plant the seeds for the result you want, and you expect that you will get the vegetables, when the time is right.
So, how can you apply the idea of gardening to building a network? Nobody plants a seed and gets angry a few days later when they can’t see a green plant. And nobody sees the tiny plant and eats it before it produces vegetables. Gardeners give time and attention to the garden in the form of water, care and patience.
Attention is also required when building relationships, but many people get frustrated (and quit) when their networking efforts don’t bring quick results.
Planting one seed (or idea) can result in an excellent harvest, but you must give the relationships what they need to grow.
When you take the time to build relationships, those relationships will take care of you.
So, build a networking! It takes time, but it’s not a full-time job. These networking tips will take only a few minutes a day.
Pay attention to new information that might be interesting to someone you know and send a message with a quick note.
Give people an update or to ask a question.
Let someone know what happened when you tried the action they suggested.
Find a new contact and reach out to them.
Take a few notes on a conversation you had, so you can remember important information.
Everything is easier with a good network. Whether you are looking for a good daycare, the best pizza, a trusted mechanic, a safe neighbourhood in a new city or a great job, your network is the key.
To learn more about networking, go to:
How to Find a Job: Why Networking is the Best Approach