Is Your Network Strong Enough for Hard Times?
Who would you ask if you needed a big favor--fast? Harvey McKay's book, "Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty" tells of a man who received a phone call at 2 a.m. from a man he hadn't talked to in over 10 years. The caller was nearly hysterical. His company was broke and he desperately needed a $20,000 loan to avoid going to jail. This man loaned the caller a small amount, though he could easily have loaned the entire $20,000. The caller had not been in touch.
Keeping a vital network is especially important in your career. Don't wait until you're in a pinch to contact people in your network--and expand it.
Everyone knows networking is critical when job hunting. As soon as people lose their jobs, they start networking like crazy. Unfortunately, desperation networking is much less effective than consistent, intelligent networking.
Marty found this out the hard way. He didn't start networking until his last company collapsed. At long last, a friend set him up for an interview with his boss. It didn't feel right: it wasn't what he wanted to do, he didn't like the boss, and it was quite a commute. Still, he needed to eat, so he took it.
Once he started the job, he put his nose to the grindstone and worked hard. He half convinced himself that he liked what he was doing. Of course, there was no time to continue networking. Well, that was only partly true. Being busy was a great excuse. Truth is that he, like a lot of us, was uncomfortable talking to strangers. When the boss decided to replace him—without warning—it was back to desperation networking.
Remember, part of networking is giving to other people. It’s not just passing out your resume, but it involves building relationships over time. Many people never learn the importance of giving before receiving.
Here’s how a couple people took action to keep their networks vital and growing.
Sharon took the initiative to get involved in interdepartmental projects. It meant more work, but now she is well known outside her department, and has strong relationships with three department heads, besides her own.
Dwight got involved with his professional association. When he joined, he learned that many members came to meetings, but few volunteered to help. Dwight volunteered to serve as an officer, and soon got to know dozens of people in his field.
Don’t wait until you’re “thirsty.” Start building your network today.
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In a job that's not working? In transition? Wondering What's next?
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Aug 20, 2016 by
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