I am passionate about helping people to build positive relationships. Thus the concept of personal networking is built into many aspects of the services offered by Brenda Eckstein International (BEI).
My first two published books on this topic, ‘Networking Tactics: A guide to achieving success through personal networking‘ (1st and 2nd editions) and ‘ABCs of Effective Networking: Fifty-two ways to achieve success‘ (1st edition) are in the process of being updated for the next editions which will join the ranks of my other books currently on Amazon. You might like to visit my Amazon author’s page.
Over the years, I have included the improvement of networking skills and building of effective networks in the courses I have developed and currently run. These include the Networking Tactics, Communication Skills, and Enhance Your Executive Skills. Elements also come into all the leadership development and executive coaching programmes in my portfolio.
Often a section of any course includes asking the participants to consider their individual one-year or three-year personal visions and then to identify the part that networking can play in helping them to achieve their individual visions. I then consolidate their lists of benefits and these often provide the framework for healthy group discussion around the topic.
Below is a list developed as part of a recent 12-module Communication Skills course run for groups of mechanical and industrial engineers and other engineers in metallurgy or analytical chemistry. Their input has been consolidated, refined and expanded.
The benefits of building positive relationships and actively engaging in networking include:
- Gaining new insights into your inner and external worlds.
- Enhancing every aspect of life.
- Interacting with others who may be experiencing issues similar to yours.
- Having access to like-minded people who can help alleviate loneliness.
- Gaining inspiration from others.
- Acquiring and using networking skills which gives you confidence to communicate.
- Using communication skills more and thus improving ability to hold meaningful conversations.
- Having the confidence to accept invitations.
- Meeting a broad range of diverse people and expanding your network.
- Being exposed to different cultures, backgrounds and phenomena.
- Gaining greater understanding thus leading to new perspectives of justice or fairness.
- Building a feeling of connectedness, relatedness or safety with individuals.
- Understanding others better and thus knowing their wants and their needs.
- Recognising opportunities to reach out to people whom you may normally not communicate with.
- Accessing influential people and other individuals whom you may otherwise not meet.
- Being offered introductions to interest groups and incentives to join.
- Developing a sense of belonging to formal and informal groups.
- Building reputation and visibility thus enhancing our status.
- Having a safety-net for testing ideas.
- Being able to elicit trusted feedback from customers or others.
- Developing a broader pool of ideas for sustaining the ‘status quo’ or innovating.
- Helping to develop and set priorities.
- Effecting change in personal or business lives.
- Expanding knowledge applicable in your current position and exposure to opportunities for the future. Growth opportunities.
- Gaining different perspectives on solving problems.
- Boosting confidence in being able to accept challenges and achieve current or new goals.
- Recognising possibilities to expand beyond the current boundaries, either locally or globally.
- Increasing autonomy or control over events.
- Generating a greater sense of certainty because you are up-to-date.
- Saving time – knowing who to go to access information or to get the job done effectively.
- Becoming more productive.
In addition to exploring the benefits above, you may wish to visit pages 50 to 53 of Networking Tactics where the benefits of networking are grouped under the Fun, Leadership, Continuous Improvement and Growth categories. In addition the following articles are relevant:
- Update on the benefits of networking
- Personal networking: a different perspective
- Networking benefits updated
- The benefits of personal networking
My invitation is for you as a reader to consider the following:
- In which ways can you break your goal down into manageable chunks?
- What are the tactics you can put into place in order to help you achieve the goals?
- How can personal networking help you to achieve your goals?
- Which of the 31 benefits above could help you?
- In addition to the benefits listed above, what other benefits are there that may help you to achieve your goals?
- Who can assist you with improving your networking skills?
- What can you do to help others achieve their goals?
For more information on the services offered by Brenda Eckstein International, please visit www.strategy-leadership.com Thank you! Happy networking!