Notworking

How much time have you "invested" in networking on web-based networking sites? While some people merely respond to connection requests, others are practically addicted.

There is a preconception that networking is your connection to your contacts. While partly true, networking is really the positive act of strengthening these connections. By this definition, successful networking isn't defined by the stack of business cards you have on your desk or the number of cocktail parties you attend. And it isn't defined by how many contacts (or "friends") you have on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Web-based networking sites are merely convenient administrative tools to organize the people you know, and connect through to the people they know. In a certain sense, these sites are no different than a road system between multiple cities. Without cars on the road, the roads have no purpose. The same can even be said for your contact list in your computer or on these networking sites: unless you do something with them, the contacts may as well not be there. Your contacts are not Networking, they are Notworking.

Strengthen your connections by following these three steps:

1) Connect: This is where social networking sites can help; after all, they are responsible for keeping their information up-to-date.

2) Walk in their shoes: For each of your contacts, identify what is important to them.

3) Give to Get: Find ways to give them what they value. It could be many small things over time (newspaper clippings, web links, food and entertainment) or it could be more immediate (job referrals, new business, etc)

This week's Action Item: If you are a member of any web-based networking sites, change your time from fiddling to focus. Walk in the shoes of your contacts, then Give to Get. Notworking will get you nowhere, but networking will get you where you want to be.

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Randall Craig speaks to groups about Career Development, Work-Life Balance, and Networking. For more information, go to www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com, or contact Randall by email through editor@ptadvisors.com.

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Copyright © 2007 Knowledge to Action Press and Randall Craig. All rights reserved.

Publication Date: December 4, 2007