Guides
How to start building a network
“The richest people in the world look for and build networks, everyone else looks for work. Marinate on that for a minute.” — Robert Kiyosaki
When you network, you dive into an environment where people share your experience, goals and desired next steps.
Networking is the antidote to a static career, an opportunity to both showcase your own talents and learn from others. It can sometimes seem daunting, but the rewards make it worthwhile.
Why should I network as a director?
Directors face demanding responsibilities and a dramatically shifting governance landscape. It’s not an environment for complacency.
Networking as a director allows you to learn from some of the most experienced governance professionals your industry can offer. Your outlook will expand across borders, beyond previous standards, and may lead you towards roles that are perfect for you but that you never even knew existed.
Knowing how to network with people
Yes, and they’re based on one common thread running through all networking activity: value.
- You see value in community activity
- You see value in your career so far
- You see value in your future
- You see value in others
Kingsley Aikins is the CEO of The Networking Institute. In the video below he discusses why networking is now more important than ever, the art of good networking, the key characteristics of great networkers and why the best networkers are often introverts because they are skilled at listening.
The huge value in community activity
This may be obvious already, but we can never understate the importance of community. The isolating effects of the pandemic reminded many of us of how valuable it can be.
Community activity means teamwork. It’s not traditional teamwork, where you’re employed alongside the people you interact with. This is teamwork on a grander scale, an industry scale.
It turns a group of like-mind individuals into a functioning machine for progress. Yes, they may have varying goals and sometimes compete against each other, but that’s part of the journey too, and it encourages the same outcomes.
Regular networking boosts your career
Networking makes us look inward, explore our skills and showcase them. This might be uncomfortable for the more humble of us, but it is a good exercise because it shows you what you’re good at and what you can learn from others.
And – side note – it also provides you with a fantastic environment to do that learning.
Being able to display your strengths and having other people recognise them – these things define your value. For busy people, this can be hard to pinpoint otherwise.
Networking uncovers skills you may not know exist
It’s the revere of the above. Networking also allows you to engage with others with skills and outlooks that interest you.
This could be the critical difference at the governance level between a board that functions perfectly and one which has to manage without a vital skillset within the ranks.
Value in your future
Ultimately, networking lays the foundations for a growing career.
You might have heard before that networking is a critical phase of a governance journey and an essential stepping stone to your first board position.
In most cases, that’s true because networking is your chance to tell your industry peers that you’re committed, know your skills and where to apply them, and a board seat is a perfect place to do it.
How do I start networking?
Join a community that already exists.
Starting a networking journey from square one – contacting strangers and trying to build a community from them – is a tough ask and rarely ever necessary.
Chances are there is already a group of peers that is perfect for you. For directors, consider joining an organisation dedicated to governance careers. You’ll be surprised how fast your insights can grow.