Are You Networking With The Right People?

‘What’s In It For Me?’ Networking

I recently received an e-mail from someone who read an article I wrote about collaboration and working together. He said, “The type of networking you talk about describes the way things should work, but in the real world most people seem to have an attitude of what’s in it for me?“ He asked, “How can I prevent wasting my time and efforts on people, only to find that they have this kind of attitude?”

The short answer to his question is this—stop hanging out with the wrong kind of people and start actively seeking out the right kind of people. Trust me, I’ve been there and done that when it comes to getting stuck with the wrong people. Moving beyond that and building the kind of network that wants to help you (knowing that you also want to help them) is a journey—not a destination.

I have two suggestions to make finding the right networking partners easier. First look for some of the signs relating to people who fit the profile of good networkers. They include:

• People who ask how they can help you or what they can offer you (and mean it) before they ask anything from you. Read the rest of this entry