The Connect Effect: What's Your Networking Quotient?
March 10, 2008
Building a robust workforce takes more than piece-by-piece improvement. It takes networking. Encouraging employees to create personal, professional, and virtual networks, and showing them how to do it, may be the next frontier of workforce management. (Adapted from "The Connect Effect: Building Strong Personal, Professional and Virtual Networks")
By Michael Dulworth
People are finding strong personal, professional, and virtual networks an increasingly essential element of their development, effectiveness, and wellbeing. Just look at the popularity of virtual networks like MySpace, Flickr, LinkedIn, and Ryze. A strong network can help you navigate rapid change, including broadening your exposure to information and access to expertise. Networking is something we all do naturally everyday, though we may not call it that. The most successful people do it purposefully.
How much potential do you have as a networker extraordinaire? Here's an opportunity to assess your networking quotient (NQ). By having a single measure of your ability to develop strong networks, you'll understand the strength of your network, and where you can improve.
IQ is the capacity to learn and understand, and can be measured by standardized tests. EQ is an acronym for Emotional Intelligence Quotient. In his bestselling book, "Emotional Intelligence," Daniel Goleman asserts that EQ describes an ability, capacity, or skill to perceive, assess, and manage the emotions of one's self, others, and groups. IQ, as the capacity to learn and understand, is pretty much a fixed capability. You may be smart, but probably don’t have the IQ of Stephen Hawking, the theoretical physicist. If we can't change our IQ, but want to be more successful, what can we do?
We have some control over our EQ, so it's an excellent idea for us to better understand ourselves, and others, from this perspective. But, like IQ, this understanding will only take us so far. Since we’re wired in certain ways, it's unlikely personal understanding, psychotherapy, or self-development will change innate traits or behaviors.
Nevertheless, I think our NQ is where we have the greatest potential for exponential change. We have almost 100 percent control over our ability to build, nurture, and leverage our networks. Some might argue being an extrovert or an introvert can greatly affect, if not determine, one's NQ, but my experience tells me this is not the case. Some of the best networkers I've met are introverts—and that includes me!
IQ + EIQ + NQ = Success…and the best way to improve this equation is by improving your NQ. Before you can improve it, however, you need to know what your NQ is.
The Qualities of Strong Networks
Rob Cross once wrote, "What really distinguishes high performers from the rest of the pack is their ability to maintain and leverage personal networks. The most effective create and tap large, diversified networks that are rich in experience and span all organizational boundaries."
• Quantity. Size matters—you never know when an important connection will lead to a positive outcome. Virtually everyone I talked to in researching this book stressed that larger networks are better networks. John Zapolski, partner, Management Innovation Group, told me, "I am constantly looking to expand my network, especially people on the periphery of my network." The more people you have in your network, the more opportunities you have open to you, the more knowledge you can access, and the more talent you can tap.
• Relationships. Vibrant networks are more than a collection of business cards or e-mail addresses: They are built on relationships. When you have a strong relationship with people, they are more willing to spend time, share information, and open doors for you. You have to build those relationships, and you do that by showing a genuine interest in other people. IDEO's John Foster told me a critical success factor in building a strong network is "making sure you’re dealing in a reciprocal relationship. You must give back to the relationship in some meaningful way and there has to be a real exchange of value for a network relationship to be worthwhile."
• Diversity. Cross says the best networks are diverse and span organizational boundaries. If everyone in your network looks like you, acts like you, and has your interests, how are you going to learn new things, discover new opportunities, or move in new directions? As John Zapolski says: "I pretty actively look for opportunities to go to new events that are really outside of the typical domain of events that I would normally go to. For example, I met a woman recently who works in innovation, but she has a deep science background so in talking with her I asked her a lot of questions about her background in bioengineering and genetics and I learned a lot. Inevitably, I'll find out what groups people like this belong to, or events they go to, and maybe I'll try to attend just so I can meet people outside of my core network. I look for those new events where I can get pulled into a direction of a deeper interest." Meeting diverse people with diverse interests is the best way to keep expanding your horizons.
• Quality. Quantity is important, but quality is even more essential. What does quality mean? Cross describes it as a network "rich in experience." Quality refers to people who are experienced, who have strong networks of their own, who have authority, can open doors, and who command respect in their fields. Scott Saslow, executive director of The Institute of Executive Development, who contributed a chapter to a book on corporate learning I published with Jossey Bass, recently told me, "There is too much focus on the quantity of one's network right now ('I have 8 billion colleagues from Linked-In'), and eventually the focus will shift to quality." In today's egalitarian world, we may try to treat everyone the same. But when it comes to networking, that makes little sense.
So, What's Your NQ?
Before you answer the questions below, take some time to list all the people in your network universe. Your networking universe consists of three primary types: 1) personal network, 2) professional network, and 3) virtual network. Each plays a role in determining your NQ. Your personal network is made up of your family, extended family, school friends, contacts, and lifelong friends. It also comprises your active friends (people you see face-to-face at least once a month) and people from your church, clubs, activities, neighborhood, and community. Your professional network includes contacts from previous jobs, colleagues from other firms, and contacts in your current organization. Your virtual network consists of people you know only through online interactions or other non-face-to-face connections. Obviously, these networks overlap. You may be close friends with a business associate, or a family member may help you make a professional connection.
Two components go into your NQ: Part A focuses on the scope and strength of your existing network, and Part B focuses on how active you are in building and maintaining your network. With these components in mind, assess your NQ by honestly answering the following questions on a scale of 0-4:
Part A: Network scope and strength
1. How many total people are in your personal, professional, and virtual networks? Add them all together.
0= Under 10
1=11 - 100
2=101–200
3=201–400
4=more than 400
2. How strong are your relationships with your network? Is someone a just business card trader (you traded cards but can hardly remember where or when), an acquaintance (they know who you are and will probably return a call); a personal contact (they’ll do a favor if asked); or a close friend (you can count on them when the chips are down)?
0=Everyone is a card trader
1=Mostly acquaintances
2=Lots of personal contacts
3=A mix of personal contacts and close friends
4=Mostly close friends with a few personal contacts and acquaintances
3. How diverse is your network? If everyone you know is the same age and sex as you, shares your cultural background, and works in the same area, your network is not diverse at all. On the other hand, if you network with everyone from 8 to 80, of both sexes and a variety of cultural backgrounds, in different jobs in different industries, you have a very diverse network.
0=Looking at my network is like looking in a mirror
1=My network is mostly people like me, but there is some diversity
2=There is a good amount of diversity
3=My network includes people from a wide variety of backgrounds and industries.
4= My network includes many people from a wide variety of backgrounds, interests, and industries
4. What's the overall quality of your network contacts? Are the people in your network experienced, with significant accomplishments? Do they have strong networks of their own? Are they well-known within a professional sphere? Can they open doors for you?
0=I like them, but they aren-t movers and shakers by any means
1=There are a few people with some connections
2=Some people in my network really command attention
3=Many people in my network are at the top of their fields and very well connected
4=I can contact almost anyone on earth through the people in my network
Part B: Networking activities
5. To what extent do you actively work on building your network relationships? Do you follow up after the first meeting? Do you make sure to periodically connect with people? Do you return phone calls and answer e-mails promptly? Do you try to meet face-to-face regularly?
0=I don’t have time for that
1=I try to reach out if I can find the time
2=I try to make time, but it’s hit or miss
3=I consistently make time to connect with people
4=I make connecting with people my top priority every day
6. How actively do you recruit new members to your network?
0=do nothing
1=hardly at all
2=sometimes
3=often
4=all the time
7. How often do you help others in your network (both when asked for help and unsolicited)?
0=never
1=rarely
2=sometimes
3=often
4=all the time
8. To what extent do you leverage the Internet to build and maintain your networks?
0=never
1=rarely
2=sometimes
3=often
4=all the time
Add your scores together, and multiply the total by 5. You'll end up with an NQ between 0 and 160. The following chart interprets your score:
0-80 Below Average: Networking has not been on your radar screen. You need to be much more active in establishing and maintaining connections.
81-110 Average: Nothing to brag about. You could benefit from being much more proactive.
110-140 Above Average: A natural networker. You are doing well, but a more systematic effort can help.
140-160 Networking Genius! You know it takes ongoing effort to maintain your network.
How did you do? Are you a networking neophyte or a world-class contender? Does this self-assessment point to some areas for improvement? Remember, no matter what your score, you can always get better.
Analyzing Your NQ
Add up your answers for Part A and Part B separately. Since Part A assesses the strength of your current network, and Part B assesses the time and effort you put into networking, the scores should be somewhat similar. We should expect, after all, a direct correlation between the amount of time and effort we put into networking and the results we achieve.
If your results are out of whack (you score much higher on one part of the assessment than the other), take a few minutes to consider why that happened. If your score on Part A indicates you have a strong and vibrant network while your score on Part B indicates you do not put much time and effort into networking, you’re in an unusual situation. You've gotten something for nothing. Perhaps you inherited your network, and interested family members are doing all the work to keep you included. Perhaps your spouse, or a close associate, is a genius networker and you’re just going along for the ride. This could be a dangerous situation. You might wake up one day and find no one bothers to return your calls. Remember, it is your responsibility to build and maintain your network, no one else's.
The more likely situation, if your scores for Part A and B are significantly different, is your Part B score is higher that your Part A score. In other words, your networking activities are not producing much in the way of actual results. Take a moment to look at your lowest scores for both parts, which will show you where you should invest the most effort. You may have a large network with strong relationships, for example, but lack diversity and quality. As you work to build your network, you can directly address those issues, or you may discover you rarely give back to people in your network. Over time this may lead people to label you a "user," and cause them to distance themselves from you—and that, you might say, is a form of anti-networking.
Michael Dulworth is the author of "The Connect Effect: Building Strong Personal, Professional and Virtual Networks," and president and CEO of Executive Networks, Inc. To learn more, visit www.executivenetworks.com.
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