“I hate networking.” We hear this all the time from executives, other professionals, and MBA students. They tell us that networking makes them feel uncomfortable and phony—even dirty. Although some people have a natural passion for it—namely, the extroverts who love and thrive on social interaction—many understandably see it as brown-nosing, exploitative, and inauthentic.
But in today’s world, networking is a necessity. A mountain of research shows that professional networks lead to more job and business opportunities, broader and deeper knowledge, improved capacity to innovate, faster advancement, and greater status and authority. Building and nurturing professional relationships also improves the quality of work and increases job satisfaction. Here are four strategies to help people change their mindset:
- Focus on Learning
- Identify Common Interests
- Think Broadly About What You Can Give
- Find a Higher Purpose
For more information check out the article here: https://hbr.org/2016/05/learn-to-love-networking
Harvard Business Review
By: Tiziana Casciaro, Francesca Gino, Maryam Kouchaki
Published on September 7th, 2018
Last updated on September 7th, 2018