why you only need 20 connections

Networking

A strategic approach to networking

Networking as ayoung professional

05-11-2015

Who am I?• Erik van Vulpen• Entrepreneur• Student • Law• Occupational and health psychology• Business Administration: S&O

Outer circleX mensen

Inner circle

15 mensenU

90% of your social resources come from 10% of your network: Your inner circle

Good ways NOT to Network

Why is networking important?• 60-80% of jobs are landed through networking(!)• A strong network makes a promotion happen faster (Singh &

Vinnicobe, 2002)• Roughly 11% of salary is related to your network’s quality (Wolff &

Moser, 2009)• Roughly 14% of your happiness in your job is related to job having a

strong network (Wolff & Moser, 2009)

Good ways NOT to Network

What is networking?• Fun• Building sustainable relationships over time• Being authentic• Giving and helping• Strategic• Smart

“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”

How CEOs build their network

Debby: “My current role is really a product of a relationship I formed over a decade ago that came back to me at the right time. People may chalk it up to luck, but I think more often that not luck happens through

networks where people give first and are authentic in what they do.”

Cross & Thomas, 2014

Strategic view on networking

Analyze your current network and diversify your connections towards your goal

Cross & Thomas, 2014

Analyze Diversify Capitalize

Exercise• Put your main mid-term goal on top• Write down the names of the people who compose your core

network on the left in rows• Write down 1 to 6 in columns• Classify relationships by the benefits

they provide

1 2 3 4 5 6Jan xPiet xKlaas xGeert xBen xBas x x

6 types of people in a CEO’s network

Performance (specific)

1. People who offer information or expertise2. Influential people3. People who give developmental feedback

Support and happiness (generic)

4. People who give personal support5. People who add a sense of purpose or worth6. People who promote work/life balance

Cross & Thomas, 2014

Performance

1) People who offer information or expertise• Peers in other functions, divisions, geographies• Sharing best practices• Contacts who inspire innovation• Experts• Clients

2) Influential people• Formally powerful people • provide mentoring• sense-making• political support

• Informally powerful people• Influence• Help coordinating projects• Support among the rank and file

3) People who give developmental feedback• Give developmental feedback• Challenge your decisions• Hold you to a standard• Push you to be better• Mentor you

E.G. your boss, trusted colleague or spouse

Support & Happiness

4) People who give personal support• Colleagues or a boy/girlfriend

who helps you get back on track when you had a bad day• Friends with whom you can be

yourself

5) People who add a sense of purpose or worth• Bosses or customers who

validate your work• Family members or a spiritual

leader who show you your work has a broader meaning• Parents

6) People who promote work/life balance• People with whom you play

sports and hold you accountable• People who stimulate mental

engagement• People who promote your

spiritual well-being (music, art, religion)

Last but not least: Energizers vs. de-energizersEnergizers:• Trustworthy• Committed• Self-less• Give

De-energizers:• Point out obstacles• Critique people instead of ideas• Inflexible in thinking• Fail to create opportunities• Miss commitment• Don’t show concern for others

90% of anxiety at work is created by 5% of your network

Every 6 months

Back away from redundant and energy-sapping relationships is

Analyze Diversify Capitalize

“It’s better to know a few people really well than a lot of

people a little”