Build Your Network Presents a Conceptual Framework

¶ … Build Your Network presents a conceptual framework for building one's professional network. At the core of their argument is that building professional networks is an active process. One must work on the network; it will not build itself. A focused and regimented methodology will help a person to build his or her network more quickly and effectively than either a laissez-faire or any sort of ad hoc strategy. Their methodology involves understanding the pathways by which information travels.

The idea is that you want to use your network to convey information -- either to tap into the network as a resource, to find contacts and referrals, or simply to obtain a new job. The authors first note that networks have three powerful advantages: "private information, access to diverse skill sets, and power." Information exists in both private and public realms. Without contacts in a network, one typically will only have access to information that lies within the public realm.

Yet there is a wealth of valuable information that exists in the private realm. Access to diverse skill sets is a tremendous advantage of having a strong network. The authors are right on this point especially -- people from a wide range of backgrounds and skill sets can exist within one's network -- this magnifies the opportunities that are available. Power is another benefit of having a strong network -- knowledge is power and the network enhances your access to knowledge, thereby enhancing your power.

The authors then outline their components to networking. It starts with understanding your current networks, which are believed to be based on the self-similarity profile, wherein the network might be too inbred (i.e. mostly from the same school, the same city or the same industry). There are, however, diminishing returns to having in inbred network. Mapping your network is a good way to evaluate the strength of your network. Right away, you might realize that you need to broaden your network.

At this point, the authors argue that if your network is too inbred, you need to forge better connections. This does not mean eschewing your local network, but simply recognizing that you are at the point of diminishing returns from that network, and that expanding beyond that network is likely to yield better results. People with a broad range of contacts are "importance brokers" and they are the key people to know in an organization, because of the wealth of their contacts.

When you become an importance broker, you will gain even more contacts and power. One of the key things about brokers is that they have multiple clusters with which they are connected. Essentially, most people network in clusters, usually fairly inbred clusters at that. A broker is connected to multiple clusters and moves freely between them. This a critical element of networking -- moving between clusters and networking with others who do the same, as this has an amplification effect on one's networking efforts.

A key concept is that networking takes advantage of the power of networks. For example, many people in a network have contacts you may not be aware of. There are likely only a few degrees of separation between people at any given time. As a consequence of this, building a strong and diverse network will give you greater amplification opportunities, to reach the people you need to reach.

Your reach improves by weaving your network into many different directions, because a diversified network reaches more people, especially when your contacts are the right people, the brokers. The most powerful brokers are known as superconnectors, and they have the best networks. They are the most powerful individuals because of this -- they are well-connected to the point of being able to affect change in many different ways very easily, by reaching out to the right people.

One of the important things is that you should not tell a broker how important they are to your network, as doing so might alter your relationship, especially when it was not previously understood that networking was a critical part of the relationship. If you are just meeting someone for the first time, however, let them know that you appreciate their assistance in building your network, because at that point you will establish networking as part of your mutually relationship. The authors then discuss how to build better networks.

They see that many people get into network slumps, and prescribe a way out of those slumps. People often voluntarily cut themselves off from networks, for example, to focus on something in particular. But the key to having a great network is to continually build out that network. You do not need to necessarily seek out brokers.