Building a Network

Networking is not about the quantity of connections, but rather the quality and depth of those connections. It's not just about amassing a hundreds of LinkedIn connections; it's about nurturing meaningful relationships that add value to both parties involved. Genuine connections can provide insights, support, and access to resources that would otherwise be out of reach.  After all, your network is not just a collection of contacts; it is a web of potential collaborators, mentors, and champions who can help you navigate the twists and turns of your career journey.

Professional organizations or conferences specific to a certain expertise or industry are filled with people who are specifically involved in order to build their network.  These events offer many ways to expand on those skills and capabilities through seminars, workshops, and access to specialized publications.  Additionally, the specialized membership can help you meet people that can serve as mentors or experts in that field.  The downside is that you may need to work harder to meet people when the organization or conference is at a national scale.  If the organization has a local regional chapter, it may make it easier to form a relationship with key connections.

If the scale of a national organization scares you, you may prefer to start with more informal groups such as those that you can find through a site like MeetUp.com.  The local groups are usually less structured, but the smaller, more intimate meetings can alleviate the stress of meeting new people.

Another place could be online groups.  Sites like LinkedIn have groups targeting many different industries and sub-industries.  Participating in the conversation threads can raise your profile and over time, you can identify people that you'll want to add to your network.  As you look for online groups, make sure it's fairly active with a strong core group of members.  Just be aware that, due to the anonymity of the Internet, it could take longer or additional work to build meaning relationships in these groups.

But the easiest way to see the power of a network is to leverage your current network -- friends, family, and co-workers -- to grow your network.  In the early days of the Internet, there was a game that was started called Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon.  The basic premise is that every actor is within seven degrees - or seven connections - away from Kevin Bacon.  With a more globally connected world, that concept has been extended to all people.  In 2011, a study showed that everyone was now within four degrees of anyone else thanks to social media.  So, if there is someone you are looking to connect with, figure out who in your network can put you one step closer to the connection you want to form and ask for an introduction.

And don't discount finding connections in unexpected places.  I met my business partner because his wife and my wife were working towards their degrees and were in several classes together.  I met someone in my bowling league that I can talk to about programming problems.  Being open to meeting people, for example through social clubs, civic organizations, or religious groups could create opportunities you didn't know existed.

Regardless of which approach appeals to you, think about how, in the next month, you can expand your network.  Then, make a commitment to yourself to meet at least 10 new people.