Networking is the watchword for anyone in transition but there are good and bad approaches. Very few companies encourage their employees to network and the practice may even be tacitly discouraged. For more than three decades, although I was familiar with networking, I did very little to build a network outside the walls of my company. I felt I was being loyal but retrospectively, I would say that I was cheating myself and my company. The lack of an external network and poor networking skills created significant challenges when I suddenly found myself in transition. How was my company hurt? The lack of a business network made it challenging to benchmark and identify best practices. It also restricted my ability to identify new candidate recruits to strengthen our company.
Since then, I have developed a vibrant, diverse, and extensive network. I have used a combination of in-person networking, introductions, networking groups, and online activities to develop this network. The advantage became obvious a few days ago when I was researching best practices in developing a “greenfield” equipment testing and approval program. I reached out to my network and was quickly talking to senior leaders at NOAA, a storied marine design firm, and in DoD acquisition. Within a few days, I had developed some excellent insights and several potential hires. Good for me and good for my future employer!
Old-fashioned connections to a trusted network coupled with the reach of a diverse, global network.
What does your company do to encourage (or discourage) networking? Do you have any unique networking approaches?
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