Oh no! Not another article about networking! Sometimes, it seems like everyone is talking about the dreaded N-word! Nearly every membership group or professional body makes some sage comment about the value of networking with other members in their organisation, and many of us agree, nod our heads, sign up, pay our money, and wait for something magical to happen. More often than not, nothing happens. So, what goes wrong in these situations? Perhaps the best place to look for answers is by examining our understanding of what networking really is. We know that networking isn’t about attending more events, collecting more business cards, or getting more followers than the next person. It is not really about quantity, and it certainly isn’t a race to 500+ LinkedIn connections. Really good networking is a far more strategic and focussed activity. It is something that we need to invest a bit of time and energy in, in order to get the best results. We are not talking about creating a telephone directory. Instead, we want a little black book of useful, valuable, and treasured contacts. Networking has sometimes been described as being a little bit like dating, and I think that this is a fair analogy. In both cases, we are searching for somebody else’s suitability as a prospective partner, in an ongoing relationship. Does the other party have what we are looking for, and what can we offer in return? We need to know what we want, and what other people want from us. So, networking is a goal-orientated activity, which requires us to interact with people, in order to make things happen. However, it is not an end in itself, but rather a step towards ongoing collaboration with other people. As such, it involves identifying the things which we currently lack (e.g. knowledge, contacts, resources, insights, information, etc.), and finding the right people who can do something about these things, for us. That doesn’t sound too hard, but it can be a challenging situation, nevertheless. To start with, you have to like connecting with other people. If you don’t like meeting people and talking to them, then you are probably in the wrong industry, to begin with! Having said that, most people in the early childhood education sector are very sociable, and they like interacting with other people, so meeting with new contacts shouldn’t be too much of a problem. However, there is a big difference between ‘just meeting people’, and actively looking for assistance from others. If you have the uncomfortable feeling that you are being too self-interested by asking for help, then try flipping the model, and see what you can offer to other ECE centre owners, managers, and staff. Networking often works best when everyone benefits from the experience, so be ready to share your own knowledge and How to network like an expert! By Phil Sales March 2022 { 18 }
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