I often come across women who say networking isn’t “working” for them. What they mean is that they went to an event, handed out business cards or spoke with some people, and then waited for it to lead to gains.
For networking to be meaningful, we cannot look at it from a transactional lens. It’s about forging a connection, building deeper bonds, gaining mentors and advisors, and proving credibility in an industry. If you want people to vouch for you, there has to be mutual effort invested in it.
At Ladies Who Lead, we recently had an amazing session where we spoke with veteran publisher-editor, Malvika Singh as she offered insights on developing an authentic connection with people.
“If your excitement is people, which is my excitement, then everything falls into place. Then, you travel because you meet people… conversation, debates, projects, risks, all that comes together if people are your priority… I’m very privileged to have known a cross-section of people.”
Mala, who has an illustrious career to boast of and is an admirer of Indira Gandhi, also spoke about how women need to go out there, be authentic and persistent, because it’s your personality that will stand out and how you create a rapport with others. Based on her experience, she highlighted how relationships once developed carry forward over a period of time.
Many women don’t prioritise networking because they are too busy and loaded with responsibilities. But networking is not a bad thing. It means making the time to build a kind of “personal professional connections”. It’s very different from your social life, and it can’t just be the people that you meet at work or your clients. It has to be beyond that in terms of a larger ecosystem.
Bear in mind that senior people also like to give back to the community. But, they also end up having to invest time, even if it is for an hour a month. They will prefer to do that with someone who is motivated, respectful and disciplined, committed to following up and showing up, and sharing their progress or ideas with them. And, they will be genuinely happy to be part of your journey because it’s a mutual exchange.
Before asking people to connect you to someone senior, do the research. Consider whether these are people who have the experience or background to guide you. It’s pointless and disrespectful to connect with someone just to show off on your advisory board.
Networking platforms are there to help you, but you have to learn to get the most out of it. And that doesn’t mean hounding people or cold calling them. There are no short cuts. Instead, invest time to build long-term relationships in the community.