Networking…. Friends with benefits?

The science behind how and why it works. Article 1.

Originally published here

Networking is a common practice that many people are skeptical about. We’ve all heard the old adage “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” And while this may be true in some cases, networking will also allow you to grow your network and increase your professional connections. However, there is science behind networking which can help explain how and why it works so well. This blog post will discuss these findings as well as provide you with tactics for maximizing your networking efforts!

You can do PhD in networking?

Believe it or not, I studied networking for my PhD. When I say this to my friends and neighbors, they all say that’s so cool but always have a confused look on their faces. They often come back with “you can do that for PhD?” Then I clarify it that it’s the science behind the networking that I found so interesting and that’s what I researched.

I decided to write about how and why networking works because I see a lot of information out there about networking, yet there is a scant information directly addressing the mechanism of networking. I truly believe that we can be better strategic networkers by having a clear understanding of the mechanism.

What’s networking to you?

When I was lecturing a large group of undergrad business school students, I asked them what they thought of networking in terms of advancing careers. Without fail they all said, yes, we have to network and it will help me get job opportunities. But when I ask them about what networking is to them, some of them said, “Meeting people and handing out business cards at networking events.”

I asked the same question to a group of more experienced professionals in their late 30’s, they said they would do some research about those who are going to attend a conference, then find a way to connect with them. Maybe that will lead to an interview at least. That sounds more like making a sales pitch than networking to me.

So what is networking?

At the most basic level, networking is about building an infrastructure that allows information and knowledge to flow between people. It could be between you and another person or you can be an intermediary between two people.

Let’s be honest, it also has a strong selfish aspect. For example, you would likely spend more time interacting with someone who can provide some benefit to you, right? Also, you know that another person will reach out to you and want to catch up over a coffee if you can provide some benefit to that person.

Lastly, not everyone is good at initiating conversations and maintaining ongoing relationship. Combining all these, I propose this definition: Networking is the ability and act of initiation and the maintenance of relationships, based on the interaction’s perceived potential benefit.

So that’s the definition, but what do we do with this?

I believe that once we understand how it works and why it works, we will all become better networkers. We can redirect our precious time towards initiating and maintaining relationships that will give us the most bang for the buck.

It’s an interesting puzzle because it involves people, people’s emotions, self-awareness, strategic thinking, and utilizing political skills. I would like to point out that networking is not always about outward facing, meaning, you don’t have to initiate and maintain relationships. A simple strategy can be deployed to reverse the direction of networking efforts (meaning others want to network with you).

Wouldn’t that be nice… Here, I would like to introduce you to a new concept, Reverse Networking.

Reverse Networking? How does that work?

It starts with understanding the value that you are adding. Others will initiate a conversation with you if you are perceived as someone that they can benefit from.

So what is your value proposition? You can be perceived as someone who is good at what you do or access to a network (or information) that others would like to tap into.

Let’s talk about the first point. Obviously, if you are not good at what you do, it is hard to be perceived as someone who can add value. As I mentioned above, networking involves building an infrastructure where information and knowledge can flow. This also means that if you are not very good at your work (i.e., you talk a lot but you fail to deliver), then the infrastructure that you belong to will not work the way that you want to, meaning others will know that you are not someone who will deliver value. I am not talking about you being exceptionally good at your work. According to my research, you just need to be above average.

As for the second point, if you are perceived as someone who works closely with an influential person (e.g. an executive with a significant work program), your perceived value will also increase. But in most cases, it is likely that you are good at what you do so you are working for the influential person and/or significant project. Combining the two points, you need to first develop your skills and then use them strategically to attract others. This is the fundamental idea behind the Reverse Networking that I will be writing more about.

I promise, there’s more.

This is Part 1 of several articles that I am planning to post. In subsequent articles, I will go deeper especially around the Reverse Networking concept. I will introduce ideas from organizational psychology, network theories, and strategic resource management. I believe that understanding how and why networking works will naturally make you a better networker. I will also include a practical guide that you can do, even for us introverts who hate networking (Isn’t there a book named after this?)

Imagine being one of those people who know everyone in the industry, somehow always get the latest on all the projects and opportunities, and get things done by calling in a favor. Being this person is within your grasp.