5 Ways to (re)Activate your Network
Over the course of your career, the three most important assets you develop are your experience, your reputation, and your network.
Collectively, these things conspire to bring you the opportunities that shape your future.
But as we rise the ranks in our jobs, we don’t pay nearly enough attention to them. And the less we nurture these things – what we know, how we’re trusted, and the people we have met along the way – the less they will be working on our behalf to move us forward.
The good news is there are a few simple things you can do to activate them in your favor. So, I present to you:
Five manageable ways to reactive your network.
(And don’t worry, none of them involve standing in a room full of strangers with a nametag.)
1. Define your career goals.
Your job may belong to your company, but your career path is yours. So spend a moment to define, right now, what it is you want to achieve.
What is your next move? A promotion? A new job? Switch industries?
What are you aiming for many years down the road? To become a recognized expert? Start your own thing? Become CEO?
Which industry or population do you want to target? Why does that excite you?
Decide what you want. Write it down. Start saying it out loud. Otherwise, how in the world will anyone be able to help you get there?
2. Audit your network.
Take a look at those people you’ve met, and ask yourself:
How many of these contacts have heard from you in the last year?
How many are dormant?
How many have a current and accurate understanding of what you’re up to and aiming for?
If people don’t hear regularly from you, they assume old information – it’s up to you to keep your network up to speed on how and when to think of you.
The more you indicate what your goals are, the easier it becomes for this group of people to mobilize on your behalf, to think of you in the right moments, and to send qualified ideas and leads in your direction.
If nobody is hearing from you, they probably aren’t thinking about you, either.
3. Spend time with your inspirations.
People respond to passion and enthusiasm. Sometimes, in the course of navigating your career, it’s easy to lose sight of these things.
So spend time with questions like these:
Who are your dream leaders, companies, partners?
What movements or emerging ideas excite you? Why?
Where are these things being discussed and who is leading the conversations?
Take note and start following. When you see someone post, respond with a thoughtful insight or reaction. Suddenly, you’re engaging and sending signals – and becoming associated with the things that you care about.
4. Hone your voice.
Everyone has something to say, and in especially today’s moment, your voice is a powerful force. Start exercising this muscle by converting your experiences into articulated points of view.
It can be tricky to get started, and empowering once you do. If you feel stuck, writing prompts can help. Here are a few:
“In the past year, I have been surprised to learn that…”
“3 things people get wrong about [your industry/function/area of passion] are… and here’s why: “
“The best way to [do whatever you specialize in] is to [top #1 trick/tip/advice]. Here’s why: “
Write freely, and then edit, edit, edit. As you work with these prompts, you’ll start to hone your ability to vocalize a point of view about your area of expertise.
5. Initiate human connection.
“Networking” is just a synonym for human connection. People want to know what you are up to and where you are heading. So if the word networking causes you to feel uneasy, strike it from your mind.
Remember we are all just people out here, trying to help other people succeed and hopefully learn or hear or do something interesting along the way.
One great way to be heard and seen, of course, is to post more content on forums like LinkedIn. But there are also analog versions of the same thing.
Start here:
Make a list of 3 early mentors who care about you but haven’t heard from you in a while.
Reach out and ask for a chance to catch up – virtually or in person.
Share some of the things you’re excited about and trying to achieve, and ask them about theirs. Get their thoughts and reactions. And that’s it. Nothing false or forced about it.
That’s it. You will be reinitiating a valuable relationship and converting them from passive contact back into active champion.
And maybe you will even enjoy it.