Who do you know and who knows you? Those are two of the most important questions for women who wish to advance in business. One of the most essential skills women need to develop is the ability to build a professional network. For some women, the thought of networking is akin to developing hives and is the last priority on the list; for other women, networking comes easily. According to The Center for Creative Leadership, “Many women resist networking,” says Laura Santana. The right network can be a differentiator and must be developed intentionally. Relationships are the key to gaining industrial and organizational information and can help strategically, operationally, and developmentally, for both businesses and individuals.
Some of the reasons women struggle at networking are because they feel that networking is transactional or insincere. Many then fail to spend intentional time focused on building relationships. Others believe women do not prioritize networking because they have personal obligations outside of work, leaving less time for developing professional relationships (Bower, 2019). Women tend to be better at building personal relationships and looking for deeper friendships, mostly outside of work.
According to CCL, some common myths about networking are:
- Networking is insincere and manipulative.
- Networking is only about politics and getting ahead.
- Networking is done when all the real work is done.
- Networking is about how many contacts one has.
- Networking is for extroverts.
The CCL article goes on to say that developing a targeted and strategic network is valuable and may become one’s most valuable resource. Networks contain mentors, sponsors, and advisors who help share ideas and opportunities, and a strategic network is better than a large group of contacts.
There are many different types of networks that female leaders should develop beyond a personal network. A strategic network helps women to understand transformation, emerging trends, relevant disruptions, and industry knowledge. An Operational network helps women get their transactional work done and connect them to relationships in their own or adjacent functions and departments where work is interdependent. A development network focuses on individuals who can provide new skills or provide mentoring or career advice and help identify growth opportunities.
Harvard Business Review’s article “The Secret of Successful Female Networkers, examines networking success tips from more than 16,500 men and women over the past 15 years. The article identifies four characteristics that distinguish more successful women from their peers: efficient, nimble, boundary-spanning, and energy-balanced. The article examines the ways a female leader can improve her networking skills.
The most efficient leaders look for opportunities to streamline their calendars and set time for reflection and high-level thinking. They make collaboration their focus, use their time wisely, and prioritize the most important tasks. They often look to combine networking with volunteerism or other activities. Women’s relationships are more nimble and stickier than men’s. They are more intertwined and are more fluid. Women want to gain access to opinion leaders, search for new insights, and find resources. The key is to initiate new connections as well as consistently maintain the old. Successful women also focus on boundary spanning – meaning building relationships across functions, geographies, and business units. This strength is critical to accessing new information, leading innovation, and pursing advancement. Women should ask, who is missing from my network that I would benefit from knowing? Who can help me with my current initiative or with my next best move? The final success tip is energy-balanced. Those who succeed bring energy to their networks. They contribute to their network and bring competence and warmth, capability, emotional intelligence, and trust.
It is critical to be intentional and to build various types of networks that, in essence, serve many purposes to include serving as a personal advisory board. One’s network will help them stay relevant and current. The perspective of professors and parents, siblings, and other advisors is valuable insight. The ability to understand the path, seek information, and ask questions to gain insights and perspective can only make life easier. If knowledge is power, then key relationships are critical for all to have, especially women aspiring to be leaders.
Citations
“The Secrets of Successful Female Networkers.” Harvard Business Review, Nov. 2019, hbr.org/2019/11/ the-secrets-of-successful-female-networkers. Accessed 6 Sept. 2020.
“Women: Make Your Network Work for You.” Center for Creative Leadership, http://www.ccl.org/articles/ leading-effectively-articles/women-is-your-network-working-for-you/. Accessed 6 Sept. 2020.
Unfinished Business 