As the title proclaims, I am not a fan of nor good at networking, yet it is a “necessary evil” in the world of business. I was glad to read the article “networking in the New Reality” (read it here) by Noah Askin in a recent INSEAD Knowledge blog as it gave me some confidence and tips to step out of my comfort zone.
After building the case for networking – even during these challenging times – Askin provided three very simple steps for networking, which are listed below:
- Determine your goals
- Draw up a contacts list
- Start reaching our – regularly
Simple but not necessarily easy for us high functioning introverts. Thankfully Askin expands on each of these to give really helpful tips and a rationale for each one. Askin finishes his advice by outlining a really novel idea to create an opportunity to grow your network of contacts. Why not reach out and have a go. There is everything to gain, and nothing to lose.