Build your network

March 7, 2009
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executive, employee and business coachingWhenever I see a spike in LinkedIn invitations, I know something is up.  Unfortunately, it seems that most of my new contacts this month are former colleagues who have been laid off (mainly in the US).  Finding themselves out of work, these newly unemployed begin activating their networks of contacts.

It’s too bad these employees weren’t doing that networking when times were good.  Imagine the contacts they could have built up by now.  Imagine the broadened view of how their profession intertwines with others, imagine the insights they could have gained both for themselves and their employer.

Yet, employers don’t seem to see it that way.  Other than the sales force and maybe some product managers, I rarely see employers encouraging the staff to look outside the walls of their company.  It doesn’t count as ‘work’ if it can’t be attributed to a project or a customer. It is too bad, because it’s a lost opportunity to increase relationships between companies and stretch brand awareness into new networks of friends and associations.

So here is a call to action to professionals everywhere:  Start treating your network like the valuable asset it is.  You carry it with you throughout your life.   Take care of it.  Why not start now?

1.        If you don’t have one already, get your own email address and mobile phone number.  Don’t rely on your employer for either.

2.       Join at least 1 online professional networking site (sorry, Facebook doesn’t count for this purpose).  I am talking about LinkedIn or Plaxo or similar.  It’s like Facebook for professionals, and it’s free – it’s your online rolodex.

3.       Spend some time developing a profile that accurately represents all facets of you that are worth mentioning.  This is like your online resume.  I often look online before I go to a meeting with someone to get a sense of who they are.  Recruiters do this, too.  Does your profile show your strengths?

4.       Set aside an hour or 2 each week to build your network.  Look online for people you know.   Look at their connections to find people you have in common.  What are your hobbies?  In which clubs do you participate?  Do you know what those people do for a living?  Look for them online.  Does your profession have an association?  Consider joining it. 

Before you know it, you will find yourself with a network of people you can refer to and draw from when you need them.  And, you never know when you will need them, so why not start building now?

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