Construct Your Network

By Alex Bolten

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to attend the CLA Old Masters Breakfast. The Old Master that was there was Kevin Mayer, the Executive VP and Chief Marketing Officer of BJ’s Restaurants, INC. While at the breakfast, one of the things that stood out to me was what he said about networking.

I think that everyone knows that networking is essentially connecting with other people and establishing your list of contacts. It is important, not only for your personal life, but your professional life as well. As people say, “it’s not what you know, but who you know.” While it is extremely important to build a wide set of skills, it is also important to connect with a wide range of people.

When someone at the breakfast asked Kevin about networking, what he said seemed so trivial, yet stunning: “connect with members of your network when you don’t need them.”

Typically, I had always thought of networking as connecting with people and, when the situation calls for it, utilizing their endorsements. It seems obvious now that networking is much more than that and that the best networks are those that have maintained connectivity.

When I thought about this, I realized that I have the best relationships with people in my networks (on LinkedIn, social media, etc.) that I communicate with the most. If someone in my network really only contacts me when they need something, I am less inclined to help them. I may not know someone as well as I should, or the person will contact me only when they need something, and then not talk to me until the next time they need something. I’m still willing to help, but I am not as enthusiastic about doing so.

This got me to thinking: if I feel this way, do others in my network feel the same? The answer is probably yes. If I wouldn’t want someone to contact me once or twice out of the blue, I’m sure that others feel the same way.

So what’s the solution? According to Kevin, whom I agree with 100%, it’s to stay in constant contact with your network. He talked about how he has lunch with people from all over his network at least once a quarter (every four months). While you don’t necessarily have to do this, you can do some other things:

1.     Use social media to your advantage. - It’s at your fingertips and it’s so easy and fast to connect with people.

2.     Make your relationships mutually beneficial. - Don’t be selfish and disinterested in what others are doing. If you’re a support system for them, they’ll return the favor.

3.     Make sure you’re not overdoing it. - Know how each person prefers to stay in contact (by email, Facebook, lunches, etc.) and use this knowledge to stay in touch.

4.     Have a genuine interest. - Don’t act as if this relationship is something that must happen and let it naturally progress.