Today I am sharing the third video of the four self-development tutorials assisting you in ramping up your Future Proofing journey.
The subject matter for this week is Networking. I love networking and meeting new people, but how many actually look upon it with fear and trepidation? The very thought of walking into a room of strangers can make some feel very unsettled and nervous.
How to Future Proof Yourself in 2020 - Networking (Part 3 of 4) discusses the benefits and opportunities that arise from building a network of people that you mutually rely on and respect.
Networking is an activity that takes time and effort, but this in turn produces results. You should be constantly networking and building your contact base. It is NOT something that should be approached when things go wrong, that just looks desperate.
So how do you Network? In the video I discuss the following 3 concepts:
Networking within your business
Whether you work for a large or small organisation, you need to network effectively and understand how all sections of the business work. With many jobs being task orientated and email being the main communication tool, you need to step out of your comfort zone and grasp opportunities to build contacts and networks. This in turn creates ongoing relationships.
Networking externally to your business
Like internal networking, find out about how your customers or suppliers cope with ideas and business challenges. It's very interesting and free learning. Get introduced to other members of their teams. Who knows where you may be able to help each other out in the future.
Building a Mastermind Group
Spend some time thinking of people you value and respect. Invite them to attend a small group where you can help each other, give honest feedback and be prepared for the critique! It's a great place to generate ideas and ongoing relationship building, especially as you will likely choose from different businesses and backgrounds.
My final tips for networking would be:
be a sponge, soak everything up when networking
ask great questions, be interested
look for ongoing opportunities
Effort and Time = Results
Next week's tutorial will be focussing on Self Development. Are you ready for that?
David
Remember, if you don’t look after yourself or your business, who is going to do it for you?