Why Bigger's Not Better in Personal Networks
How would you be fixed if a crisis suddenly loomed -- redundancy or a career disappointment? Would there then be a sudden rush of blood to the head and a frenetic burst of unfocused activity? You might find yourself with a deadline that you were unprepared for, with an out-of-date CV, networks neglected or overflowing with unknowns.
You wouldn't take a poorly maintained boat out on the ocean with a risk of it sinking, so why would you allow your personal career path to be put at risk by having an un-maintained CV and a poor support network, let alone the same old skills you've had for a lifetime?
Beware of tunnel vision, and be prepared for all outcomes. Here are some suggestions to help you:
- Self-development Many people don't bother with self-development, especially in terms of their career opportunities. You've probably spent more time planning a ski-holiday or tinkering with the engine of your car, than you've spent thinking about how you're planning your career strategy.Think about what you've planned this year: are you going to take up golf, perhaps, or sky-diving, or learn to dance? Where's the self-development there? Where's the career plan?An American business coach, Brian Tracey, offers this advice: "Invest three percent of your earnings every month back into yourself on personal and professional development, on becoming better at the most important things you do." With laws on entitlement to training time at work, you can ask for the time off to upgrade your talents.
- Online reputation. Make sure that you appear (in the right way) in Google searches, check out your online profiles and make sure they are saying what you want them to say. Take control of what others are reading about you.
- Strategic network-building. Just recently I saw a tweet, "I am being followed, therefore I am". But what's the point of being 'followed', or 'existing', if there is no mutual relationship? Don't just collect names and email addresses with no purpose other than to say you have a huge network! Large is not necessarily great, it's just unwieldy.Targeted connections are what matter if you want to develop visibility and gain mutual benefit. Networking is, of course, a strategy. It's used to tell the world you exist, that you are valuable and remarkable, and to offer your help and expertise to others so that you become the go-to person -- the name on everyone's lips when it comes to your speciality.
- Be authentic. Consider how authentically you come across and how you are developing relationships (or not) with people who see the strategic value in you and your business.
Are the people in your network prepared to invest their time in you? Think about what you can offer them -- what can you do to demonstrate that you're worth following?