Those that know me know that I love networking. I love to connect with people, and I love to make meaningful connections between people.
Over many years of networking, I’ve found that there are broadly 5 different types of networks that I am involved with – many networks have some crossover. Each has value and each serves a purpose. I am incredibly grateful to have all of these networks in my life.
With this article I just wanted to describe each of them briefly and then perhaps you can think about whether you have these networks in your life – and whether you should foster any of them further.
Strong Contact Networks – I am a member of BNI. BNI is a strong contact network. Each chapter has exclusivity of category. I am the only person in the telecommunications industry in my chapter. There is only one accountant etc. A strong contact network meets regularly (BNI chapters meets weekly) – side note, I am incredibly grateful that BNI continued to meet weekly online through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Service Organisations – Service organisations, like Rotary or Lions, are a great way to grow your network and serve your community. As a member of the Strathmore Rotary Club I get to connect with local members and my local community. I also have access to a Global Network of Rotarians and have friends throughout the world. The motto of Rotary International is Service above Self. By connecting with other Rotarians, we create meaningful impact in the world and foster stronger communities.
Casual Networks & Networking Events – There are also a variety of other networking events you can attend, especially those that are business focussed. This could be your local chamber of commerce, an industry association or something that is topic specific. Personally, I found there was a dearth of local networking events in my area so I created my own.
Social Networks – Not all networking needs to be solely business focussed. Networking definitely shouldn’t be transactional. It’s all about relationship building. Social networks could be old school friends, it could be networks built around hobbies or interests. You could be a member of your local sporting club
Online Networks – Social networking sites like Facebook have changed community building. Many of the online networks and communities that you connect with and foster could have crossover with many of the networks above but the impact of online websites and social media mean that these networks are worth mentioning separately.
They say that your network is your net worth. You should spend time relationship building across all networks. If your network is small and you are looking to grow it, please connect with me on Linkedin. I will post extra content over the coming days that may also be of interest.