Most people recognize the importance of their network these days because it’s pretty well understood that getting where you want to go is often about who you know.
In this post I want to share two ideas that take that understanding to the next level.
The Connector Strategy – The idea of a connector strategy comes from Michele Woodward, one of my teachers and mentors. In this post, Michele describes connectors as people who have very large networks and derive joy and satisfaction from bringing together those with a need and those with a solution. Everyone has a few connectors in their network; give it some thought and identify the ones in your life. To get the most bang for your networking buck, it makes sense to activate your connectors when you need assistance (e.g., job searching, crowd sourcing, looking for a painter, etc.). Reaching out to a connector puts you in touch with not just them, but their network of hundreds (possibly thousands) of people. And, it gives the person a chance to do something they really love to do – connect others.
Network Size, Innovation, and Creativity – Recent research, summarized here by I/O at Work, finds that the employees of leaders who have larger social networks (i.e., are well connected to people in the organization outside of their team) have access to more resources, ideas, and perspectives. Leaders with many connections have a better understanding of the organization as a whole and how all the pieces fit together. Sharing these insights with their employees enhances the creativity and innovation of the team. These findings suggest leaders should connect across the organization, listen to and learn from this expanded network, and then take the knowledge back to their employees.
How else does your network provide value? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
My goal is to write 30 blog posts in 30 days the month of September.
#30in30
Here’s a quick walk the talk story for today: Rob was a professional level employee in a very large organization that had a clear and well communicated values statement – the stated culture more or less. One of those values was Act Like an Owner and included stewardship of resources and accountability..jpg)