To some of us, the word “networking” produces a negative reaction. We start feeling laziness in our bodies, our brain associates it with being false and convenient friendships. We have criticized the behavior of others, so we cannot mimic that to stay true to ourselves. Does this sound familiar?
Well, how about we change our perspectives and call it differently?
Catching up: connect to an old friend, boss, or colleague and see what they are up to. Not to tell them “I need a favor or a job”, but just be truly curious about how they are doing and what you have both learned during the time you haven’t seen each other.
Making new friends: if you made friends in College, why not at a conference, work, or at your child’s school? Asking someone at work who is not on your team for lunch or coffee to just chat and get to know each other, is not false if you truly want to see how you can support each other as friends do.
Informational conversations: contacting a stranger on Linkedin or a contact of a contact to learn about their job or experience and ask for advice on your career or business, is just being curious and wanting to learn from someone else.
The key is setting the focus on THEM and not on YOU. If you focus the conversation on what YOU need, then you feel guilty and false. But if you make it about how THEY are someone that you care for, admire, and can learn from, then the conversations may be less awkward for both of you. The more people get to know you (your interests, values, and successes) the more they can recommend you (without you asking explicitly) for a promotion, a job, a project, and even a love partner!
Commentaires