Networking Your X Factor

The Most Powerful People Are Those Who Share Information

Information can equate to power – and the more information you have about a subject, the more powerful or influential you become.

Strategic alliances can be described as a coming together of two or more parties who agree to certain behaviours or procedures for the purpose of ultimately creating mutually beneficial results.

Technology Drives Our Communication World Further and Further Ahead

As technology drives our communication world further and further ahead, creating a time-poor society – emails, mobile phone calls, social media focus and information overload – networking face to face has become more important than ever.

Wise networkers realise that their potential influence is directly related to the size of their network and base of connections. A network is a varying collection of people from all walks of life. In the jigsaw of life, you never know where a person might show up again or how much influence their opinion of you may carry or the impact (for better or worse) of the influence you have had on them. Master networkers influence others, both formally and informally, in matters small and large. So a smart manager or aspiring leader learns from them and works at developing strong, ethical networking skills. And remember, networking skills are a prerequisite for forming strategic alliances, which can enable you to move your organisation and your career to the next level.

The Link Between Strategy & Networking

You have a strategy even if you make no plans and never go away on a strategy retreat. You have a strategy by default, which will be opportunistic at best and irresponsible at worst. The opportunistic approach is to do whatever looks like the right thing at the time. The danger is that you may well be precluded from participating in far more lucrative opportunities in the future.

If you are the proverbial jack-of-all-trades, you will never become the specialist

The provider of choice to the firms placing large orders

The Benefits of Networking

Regardless of age, regardless of position, 
Regardless of the business we happen to be in,

All of us need to understand the importance of branding.

We are CEOs of our own Companies: Me Inc.

To be in business today, our most important job is to be 
Head marketer for the brand called

“YOU”  –  Tom Peters

Time to Network

One of the challenges is that many of us can’t be bothered investing the time required to work at and create new networks. It is so much easier and a great time saver to stick to the networks that we know and feel comfortable with.

One definition of people who are spheres of influence is

‘someone who knows a little bit about a lot of things and a lot about one or two areas’

These people often specialise in one area, while having a good general knowledge of many areas. They are very good at keeping in touch with their networks, they remember what is ‘special’ and unique about individuals, and they are generally extremely good communicators. Smart networkers work at creating relationships with spheres of influence; they know that a positive word about them from one of these key players carries a lot of weight and influence. Bill Gates has spoken of a trilogy of trust – the trust that one person has in another, that is then passed on to the third party. For example, Bob knows, likes and trusts Sue, who knows likes and trusts John. Based on this two-way trust, Bob will be open to discussions or possible connections with John, even though John has never previously had contact with Bob.

Extracts below ‘Understanding Influence for Leaders at all Levels’

- Author Robyn Henderson

Master networkers are individuals who realise that networking is a life skill, not just something you do when you want something. Networking includes connecting with different cultures, and ages. The aim is to follow up, keep in touch, identifying and make contact with spheres of influence, and form win–win strategic alliances. It can in fact take six years to develop a good career network. Building networks takes time, effort and, most of all, sincerity. The networking world is open to everyone, without exception, as long as your networking values are strong, ethical and transparent.

The Power of Networking

Great networkers make great leaders because they have unlocked the potential of networking in their busy lives. They have created simple systems that enable them to connect with others, stay connected and create valuable lifetime connections with key players, spheres of influence and other master networkers.

The basic principles of networking discussed here are based on the following three universal laws:

1. The law of abundance. There are plenty of opportunities for everyone – plenty of ideas, clients, customers, jobs and so on. Just because your diary is empty does not mean that there are no opportunities around. Great networkers believe in an abundance of opportunities.
2. The law of reciprocity. What you give out comes back tenfold. If you give out help, you get back help; give out love, you get back love; give out information, you get back information. The challenge, of course, is that although for you the giving is instant and in the short term, the receiving may not happen for some time. Also, what is returned may not come from the person to whom it was given. However, great networkers believe firmly that what you give out comes back tenfold.
3. The law of giving without expectation. This occurs when you give without an expectation of receiving something. You do something for someone not to get something back, but because you want to help them achieve their goal. 

Great networkers network ethically, professionally and courteously – aware that every best friend was once a perfect stranger, and that you never know who that stranger in front of you actually has in their network. The basic philosophy of great networkers is to treat everyone the way they would like to be treated.

Networks Aren’t For Sale!

One of the quickest ways to damage your reputation is to treat your connections, or those of others, as a short-term, saleable item. Rather than your sole focus being ‘who can I sell to’, expand your thinking to include ‘who can I connect the people I have just met with’. Always be transparent in all your communications.

Remember that if you don’t value your networks you won’t have them for long.

Empowering others

There is a great sense of satisfaction when you have the ability to influence someone by empowering them. One of the easiest ways to empower someone else is to give them information. 

Information can equate to power – and the more information you have about a subject, the more powerful or influential you become.

Information is one of the major currencies of networking, and master networkers have much ‘information power’. As a rule, they are extremely well informed. They work at gaining and constantly updating their information through sources such as newspapers, books and the Internet, but also through the information that circulates through their networks.

Master networkers also know that the greatest gift you can give someone is your sole focus. Whether it is for 10 seconds or 10 minutes, if your sole focus is on that person, you will have had a quality conversation with them. Simply giving sole focus to someone is sufficient to influence and empower them, as this action is so rarely experienced in our busy society.

Strategic Alliances

A leader can progress from zero to hero with the formation of a number of strategic alliances, both internal and external. In fact, it is very difficult to achieve hero status and major influence in an organisation without the support of a number of strategic alliances and collaborations. The main reason why people form strategic alliances is to make it easier to achieve their desired results. Strategic alliances can be described as a coming together of two or more parties who agree to certain behaviours or procedures for the purpose of ultimately creating mutually beneficial results. Leaders cannot perform effectively without a number of strategic alliances within divisions, organisations, teams and clusters in their workforce. Strategic alliances are hard work. They are like many of the important relationships in your life; they take time to yield results. However, they are a very interesting way to spread your influence to a much wider network. As Harvey Mackey says, it is not what you know, but who knows what you know.

Mastermind Groups

Another strategy master networkers use is to develop and participate in ‘mastermind’ groups. Mastermind groups are informal or formal meetings where selected, highly regarded people come together with a set agenda of sharing wisdom, creative ideas, solutions, possible outcomes and constructive feedback for each individual’s problems, challenges or ideas. The information shared within mastermind groups is usually regarded as confidential, unless agreed otherwise. This enables individuals to speak freely about their challenges in an environment of mutual trust.

Understanding Influence for Leaders at all Levels

Author Robyn Henderson is regarded as a global networking specialist. She has spoken in eleven countries, presents over 150 times each year and has never advertised. All her work comes from networking, referrals and her website. She is a CSP – a certified speaking professional with the National Speakers Association of Australia; an accreditation shared by less than 500 people internationally – and an adjunct professor with the Southern Cross University. Robyn has written 14 books on networking, self-promotion and building self-esteem.