When I was in the MBA program at the University of Nevada – Reno, I took a class called Changing Environments of Business. One of the main focuses of the class was how to be in network as the leader. The class was full of business leaders which gave each student a great opportunity to be in network with other business leaders. In addition, my teacher based each student’s grade on how well they got in network with other leaders in the class. Since the class was a Saturday class, he also required that students go to lunch together during the middle of the class to get to know each other. This reinforced the importance of being in network with other leaders.
My teacher was in his 80’s and had had many careers throughout his life in a variety of industries. In each industry he learned that it was essential to be in network if you wanted to succeed. He taught me that if you were in network, as a leader, you would always know what was going on within your organization. He taught that there are benefits from being in network.
Be In Network
In almost every, if not every, organization there are internal politics with an internal network, what I call “in network.” Within those networks, there are people that know exactly what is going on. At the same time, there are others that don’t have a clue. As a leader, it is important for you to be in network. When you are in network, you are able to find out what is going on in the company, who is getting promoted, who is favored amongst leadership, what strategic moves the company is going to make, etc. before it happens.
To get in network, you need to create relationships, or network, with everyone that you work with. This requires that you create relationships with people at all levels in the organization. When you network with everyone, however, you will be able to make connections that will allow you to become in network. It is important to be sincere in your desire to get to know people because if you only network with a specific goal in mind, people will see you as superficial and feel as though they are only being used as a tool.
Watch For Signs
Once you get in network, you should watch for signs of things coming up. Who will be the next person to get promoted? Who are the people with the top connections or highest amount of influence? What direction is the company going? Is the company going to have lay-offs or are they going to hire many people in the near future/ Once you are in network, you will have access to the answers to all the questions above. The answers will act as road signs to guide you in your important career decisions.
Hopefully since you are a leader, being in network will help you to shape some of the answers to the questions above. If that is not the case, the signs will at a minimum help you navigate your future. My teacher explained that there were many cases where he was in network at his company which helped him to avoid being laid off or becoming the fall-guy when things went wrong.
Know When To Make A Move
In leadership and life, timing is everything. Once you get in network, you will be more prepared to make a move. Sometimes that move is to go for a promotion while other times it is to leave the company. When you are in network, you will know what to do and when to do it. If you are not in network, you run the risk of being blindsided with a change that directly affects you.
As a leader, being in network with your customers is also important because it helps you know when to make big moves within your organization. When you are in network with your customers, you will be able to find out the needs of your customers and more effectively meet them.
Conclusion
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, my teacher had several careers and always worked hard to be in network. He explained that because he was in network, he made key moves throughout his career that helped him to succeed. There were a few times where he left an organization right before new management came in that completely drove the company into the ground. He also made key moves that helped him to get promoted very quickly. Had he not been in network, he would have missed opportunities and could’ve gotten stuck in bad situations.
Are you in network where you work? How has being in network helped you succeed? When you were not in network, how did it hurt you? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below!
I think it’s so important to stay within the “network.” I think it can allow you to move forward within your career. Great points and post.
Welcome Dan!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. As you mentioned, I have seen many people advance their career because they were in the network. Fortunately or unfortunately, however you look at it, a lot of where you go in your career and life is dependent on who you know more than anything else.