{"id":198,"date":"2024-11-21T17:34:43","date_gmt":"2024-11-21T17:34:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cinco.ie\/?p=198"},"modified":"2024-11-23T16:59:51","modified_gmt":"2024-11-23T16:59:51","slug":"how-to-develop-and-use-your-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinco.ie\/?p=198","title":{"rendered":"How to develop and use your Network"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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A network is essential for helping you to advance your career but it also opens doors to making new friends, new opportunities and is even fun as you become better at it.\u00a0\u00a0 If you\u2019re the type of person who hates networking, you are not alone.\u00a0\u00a0 Most of us aren\u2019t naturals and would much rather work longer hours than try to connect with someone important that we don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n

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Here are our top 5 tips to help you become a brilliant networker :<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 \u00a0 Evaluate your current Network<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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“The richest people in the world look for and build networks, everyone else looks for work\u201d \u2013 Robert Kiyosake<\/em><\/p>\n

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It\u2019s good to take a step back and take an honest appraisal of your network.\u00a0\u00a0 You might feel you don\u2019t have one but if you\u2019ve ever spoken to anybody, then you have a network.\u00a0 So, is it any good?\u00a0 Can you reach out to your network when you\u2019ve got a need regarding your work or career?\u00a0 Does anyone reach out to you for help or advice?\u00a0 Think about these people that you already know and categorise them into 1 of 4 groups :\u00a0 Decision Makers<\/strong> (they can strongly influence your advancement), Mentors<\/strong> (they give you advice and help from their experiences), Peers<\/strong> (people around your level who you confide in or get on well with) and Others<\/strong> (interesting people you connect with regularly).\u00a0\u00a0 Rate your relationship with each individual on a scale that works for you.\u00a0\u00a0 Consider a scoring from 0-5 \u2013 a \u20185\u2019 could be defined as you know extremely well and that they think highly of you.\u00a0\u00a0 Now consider your list and notice how many are in each grouping and also how high or low your scores are. \u00a0How many genuine Decision Makers do you have on there?\u00a0 \u00a0This overall picture gives you a view of the health of your current network and shows where your opportunities are.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/strong>Select your \u2018Targets\u2019<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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\u201cKnow where you want to go and make sure the right people know about it.\u201d – Meredith Mahoney<\/em><\/p>\n

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Now it\u2019s time to start targeting who your next key contacts are.\u00a0\u00a0 If you\u2019ve a focus on career advancement, the Decision Maker<\/strong> and Mentor<\/strong> categories are most important.\u00a0\u00a0 Are your scores or the number of people in these categories low?\u00a0\u00a0 If yes, then this a \u2018red flag\u2019 for yourself.\u00a0\u00a0 You need to start actively building your relationships in these areas immediately.\u00a0\u00a0 A great way to do this is to just sit down and brainstorm a list of the potential people who are going to be critical for you to get to know.\u00a0\u00a0 Having 1-2 mentors is probably enough, it\u2019s likely that there will be 5 or more really key decision makers.\u00a0 I recommend creating a Top 5 Target list and a Top 5 Watch list.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Target list are those people you want to actively pursue.\u00a0\u00a0 You want to reach out to them and begin or enhance a relationship.\u00a0\u00a0 The Watch list are almost likely your next Targets but they could contain Peers and Others who you feel are interesting or are going places.\u00a0 You may bump into one of them in the corridor or be the first ones on a Zoom call.\u00a0 If they\u2019re on your watch list, you\u2019re more inclined to make an effort to say hello and start an exchange.\u00a0\u00a0 I know this may all sound a bit surgical but you\u2019ll find that over time, your approach to networking will become more natural.\u00a0\u00a0 You will develop friendships and peers from the past are, all of a sudden, new CEOs.\u00a0\u00a0 However, if your evaluation tells you that you\u2019ve work to do then having a structured approach will ensure you spend your precious time on people who are going to have the most impact on your career.\u00a0\u00a0 Lastly, give yourself a goal for how you will improve the relationship with each of the people on your list.\u00a0 Consider maybe a 9-12 month window and use the 0-5 scoring system again.\u00a0 What is going to be your before (current score) and after (goal score)?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Remember, their perception of you is the most critical thing so tune into that as you consider your scores.<\/p>\n

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