Personal networking is a process, not a single event. It's best understood through four key stages: learning, investing, nurturing, and keeping.
The Four Stages of Personal Networking
-
Learning: This initial stage focuses on understanding the networking landscape and identifying your goals. It involves researching your field, identifying key players, and learning about networking etiquette. Think about attending industry events, reading relevant publications, and analyzing your professional connections.
-
Investing: Once you understand the landscape, it's time to actively invest in building relationships. This involves attending networking events, joining professional organizations, and initiating conversations with individuals in your field. This stage requires proactive effort and genuine engagement with others. For example, attending a conference and actively engaging in conversations with other attendees.
-
Nurturing: This crucial stage involves maintaining and strengthening the relationships you've built. It goes beyond simply exchanging contact information. Nurturing relationships requires consistent communication, offering support to your network, and building genuine rapport. Think about sending thoughtful emails, connecting on LinkedIn, offering assistance, or engaging in casual conversation.
-
Keeping: This final stage focuses on long-term relationship management. It involves staying in touch with your network, updating them on your progress, and seeking their advice when needed. This ongoing interaction keeps your network active and mutually beneficial. This could be through periodic check-ins, celebrating their successes, or seeking mentorship.
While some sources mention other frameworks for stages in networking (like research, approach, follow-up, and request), the learning, investing, nurturing, and keeping model provides a comprehensive overview of the cyclical nature of successful personal networking. The other models often focus on a single interaction rather than the entire process.
