Networking

The last few years has seen the rise of Internet based social networking. Web sites like Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn and others have done a lot for networking but it seems like a lot of people think that networking stops as soon as you ‘connect’ with someone.

Charles Green at the Trust Matters Blog had a great post on the topic titled “Larry David, Seinfeld and Social Networking“, with some excellent and insightful comments about social networking.

For example:

The technology of social networking is overrated. You still have to be able to communicate

Great advice…and that’s just the first two sentences of his post! The rest of the post is outstanding…to be able to weave the antics of Larry David (the co-creator of Seinfeld) and the Seinfeld show with social networking is genius.

My spin on Charles’ post is that in order to ‘do’ networking, you have to actually get out there and meet people face to face and even fall a few times. You won’t really gain the most value from your network unless you truly try to understand the other person and how you can really help them.

Oh yeah…you have to understand that networking isn’t about “how can they help me”….when you approach networking the right way, it’s about “how can I help them“

You have to see the human side of your ‘network’….regardless of how many times you email or call someone, the face to face meeting is still the best way to get to know your network.

If you want to take a look at other topics on networking you should check out Thom Singer’s “Some Assembly Required” blog, especially his “Tips for Better Networking“.

Scott Herrick has a very good post on his Cube Rules blog titled “Networking for Shy People” that is definitely worth the read whether you are shy or not.

One of the clearest descriptions Ive ever read of networking is provided by Scott when he writes (emphasis is mine):

First, learning that “networking” isn’t something you do, like going out and painting a picture by number. Instead, networking is simply knowing and helping other people. The more people you help, the more people you know, and the larger your network gets.

I wish more people understood this. Most people think that networking is a bunch of people standing in a room exchanging business cards and talking. Of course, that can be a method that a person can use to network, but networking is about helping others.

Thanks for the blog post Scot.

Technorati Tags: Networking, Relationships