A Very Casual Way to Build a Strong Professional Network Over Time
With patience and a little effort, you will eventually be part of a very powerful network.
The ability to network is often touted as a superpower.
But it really isn’t.
Unless you’re playing an extremely short-term game and want an immediate payoff, there are no superpowers involved. You can easily build and maintain a powerful professional network over time without overextending and asking too much of others. You don’t have to stretch anyone’s goodwill so much they tell you to get lost.
The casual longer-term approach isn’t particularly sophisticated. But it’s incredibly effective.
Often, great networking just involves showing up regularly, not making people feel uncomfortable, and not asking for anything.
Networking doesn’t need to have a payoff.
Acknowledge The Existence Of People Around You
Sometimes, you don’t have to say anything at all.
Just being around another person can help you form an affinity with each other. It’s called the mere-exposure effect or familiarity principle. Just being seen and noticed over time will make someone friendlier towards you. It opens up the opportunity for casual conversation.
Have you ever looked around the room or walked by someone, and accidentally made eye contact? Rather than look away immediately or continue to stare past them, you could just acknowledge their existence by giving them a gentle nod or smile. You could even go as far as saying hi.
I know it sounds ridiculous that something so minor should even be mentioned. But it’s remarkable how often we ignore people at work just because they aren’t directly working with us. If you’ve ignored someone for a while and get introduced to them later on, you can easily start off on the wrong foot or be seen as quite cold.
Don’t get into the habit of ignoring the people around you, it makes even the most casual of greetings seem unusual.
Meaningful Small Talk Goes A Long Way
Contrary to how some people may feel, small talk doesn’t have to be endless, meaningless chatter that only wastes time.
Sure, you can start by asking how someone is or what they have planned this weekend. But it’s when you start building on these casual conversations and remember little details they’ve mentioned before that things start to get interesting. They will be pleasantly surprised you cared to remember things about them and will start making more of an effort to remember you.
As long as you are genuinely interested in what they have to say, you should engage in a little small talk. But don’t force it, there’s nothing worse than an uncomfortable conversation you can’t get away from.
Get On With Your Work
Maybe you’re a networking pro. You make an amazing first impression. You wow people with your ability to “work the room”. But if people don’t respect you as a professional, you’ll have a tough time asking anyone for anything.
Being good at your job goes a long way. The more indispensable and reliable you can become, the more people will appreciate you at work. You’ll come up in conversation and people will have nothing but good things to say about you.
The people you’ve worked with are probably going to be some of your greatest contacts. These are people that can directly vouch for you later on. And vice versa. Having people that recognize your ability at work gives you far more credibility than idle chit-chat ever could.
Schedule Your Catch Ups
You don’t have to be best friends with someone to grab a cup of coffee with them or have a 15-minute phone conversation every once in a while.
If you think it’s a tall order to meet someone for a coffee, lunch, dinner, or drink, then they really aren’t part of your network. If it’s a struggle to be around each other for such a small period of time, there is no point staying connected.
You should both be excited to catch up rather than dreading it. Depending on how close you are, catch-ups can be very infrequent. For some, it could be once every few months or even once every few years.
And Then Wait
Do your work. Progress in your career. Meet lots of people. Be nice, friendly, and approachable. Have your little catch-ups.
And then just wait.
You will be amazed at how much people can progress in their careers in a short space of time. And that includes you.
There will be so many people in your network that end up in managerial roles, some will become the head of XYZ department or the founder of their own businesses.
Over time, people will change roles and companies enough that you’ll know people at dozens of different companies within your industry and beyond.
By the time you or anyone in your network needs a favor, there will be plenty of contacts in a position where they can really help. And they will eager to flex their newfound abilities.
Being part of a strong network means that you and your network can help each other in your professional development.
Of course, some people will happily help more than others. But even if your contacts don’t have any sway on the recruitment process, they can at least tell you more about what it’s like to work at a specific company, what the culture and work/life balance are like.
Don’t underestimate the power of just knowing people for a long(ish) time — its ability to strengthen relationships between people is pretty powerful.
Closing Thoughts
Don’t overthink networking.
You don’t have to suddenly change your personality and be the loudest person in the room just to get people’s attention.
You can focus on your work, and gradually increase your interactions with the people around you.
The best time to build your network is when you don’t need one. People are really open to meeting others when they aren’t being hassled for favors. Networking is most powerful when you are there to give and not to take.
Don’t forget that networking isn’t one way— it’s up to you and your network to support each other. You don’t need that many close contacts for it to make a significant difference. Some ex-colleagues would love the opportunity to work with you again.
