Managers today juggle more responsibilities than ever and for many of them networking becomes an afterthought.
“Other things being equal, what is going to give you an edge? It’s the relationships that you have that allow you to augment what you know and allow you to take the ‘what you know’ and actually to translate it into practice, into something the organization can use. It makes all the difference.” - Herminia Ibarra, INSEAD Professor of Organisational Behaviour.
Three types of networks
There are three types of networks important in business: operational, personal and strategic.
While a lot of managers excel at building and using their operational network, they often overlook their personal and strategic networks.
Operational networking involves cultivating the relationships with people you need to accomplish your job, like people and colleagues at work.
Personal networking is an afterthought for many busy managers. When you work 60-80 hour weeks, the easiest thing to eliminate from your schedule is neighborhood social event, your alumni meet etc.
Strategic networking is the toughest but most essential if managers want to become business leaders. Managers are encouraged to look beyond their industry as well. This allows managers to share ideas about best practices in management, learn new approaches and keep close tabs on developments in business and technology. It helps managers to see the bigger picture and create their own visionary approach.
CommonFloor allows you to meet a diverse group of like-minded professionals, living in geographic proximity. Socializing this way helps you to develop important social skills for many professionals and may be the first place you turn when you start thinking about changing careers.
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