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Chronicles from a Caribbean Cubicle

11/12/2007

Networking vs. Building a Network

It seems that people who get caught up in the idea of "networking" can get confused about the goals of their efforts.

It's easy to think that it has something to do with socializing, selling, making friends or liming. These activities all have their place, but they don't accomplish much in the long term.

Instead, the purpose of the activity is to "build a network."

The word "build" is important here. It implies the slow but steady expansion of something that starts off small, but eventually turns into something substantial.

Of course, once the network is built, it must be carefully pruned, fed and maintained to help it thrive. In this way, a good networker is more of a careful gardener than anything else, who has the patience to allow small actions to produce large results over time.

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1 Comments:

  • Great and timely article. I think I have let a lot of opportunities to really add solid people to my network because I didn't know what to say to keep in touch over the months and years.

    Even periodic email updates on what you're currently up to in your professional (or academic) life and season's greetings before Independence celebrations and Christmas, for example, can help the person feel connected to you...

    Michelle Graham Day

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11/12/2007  

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