4 Little Habits To Try Every Day At Work For A Healthier Year
Pressmaster | Canva Networking and learning how to network are an important part of your career. It's also important when you're learning how to run a business and need effective communication skills to maintain a relationship with the people you meet.
But, what is networking, really? Networking in its classical sense is a skill that matches people so they can connect on some level. Events similar to the previous scenario try to help people connect, but some mindsets can act against creating these kinds of connections.
Are you offering something of value first? Whether meeting a new professional contact or just making a new friend, offering something of value first, without expectations of receiving something in response helps to create a solid bridge in the relationship.
The offering can be a piece of information, a resource, a skill I have, or an acknowledgment of something they do that I recognize. This can prompt someone to want to return the favor, but it is not necessary, as the first act is like a stamp on a new document to seal the connection with integrity.
Offering value first can conjure thoughts of, "Why should I do that first? No one ever gave me anything first! I always have to ask!" If these thoughts show up, acknowledge them as a space to evolve beyond; the defensiveness is a return to the self-focus mentioned earlier. Offering value first without a prompt raises the networking relationship’s strength tenfold. It says you have an abundance of value to share and are not concerned about losing something by giving.
What’s your value? In my consultations, I recognize this is one of the biggest challenges. People who have been in business for years, who know how to network and have large social media followings, can still struggle with this one question.
Deeper than just savvy business skills and being good at something, knowing our genuine value as a human being speaks to the core of our self-esteem: our life purpose. If you’re feeling blocked from offering value first or at any time because you don’t know what value you have, this is a great time for some introspection.
Committing to a few hours to write down answers to these questions can help you with your target.
- "What job do I have now, or did I have? What skills do I use for that job?" You were hired for it, so that means it’s valuable enough for someone to pay you to use them.
- "What do my friends tend to ask me to help them with?" Write everything down. This is a sign of a potential talent you’re using but just not being paid for it. You’re solving people’s problems using it.
- "What energizes me when I do it?" Brainstorm everything, doesn’t have to be connected to a job or money.
- "What items do I tend to have most? DVDs, books, clothes, apps?" You must have become a hidden connoisseur with a vast knowledge of collecting them.
- "What subjects come easily to me when learning?" Another hidden ability.
Once you have a list you’re comfortable with, see those answers as values you have to offer. And when you meet someone, think of what you know, do, or could share that could add value for that person.
Here are 4 little habits to try every day at work for a healthier year:
1. Don't only communicate when there's a task to do
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I cannot stress this one enough. If the goal is to grow the relationship and whatever you’re building together. The more you talk about subjects that aren’t project-related, the more you know each other’s personalities, build trust, interests, strengths, and can become more targeted about where exactly your value can assist the team.
When coworkers chat about stuff beyond work projects, they actually build way more trust and get to know each other as real people, which makes collaborating on actual work way smoother. Research showed that people who are satisfied with informal communication at work trust their company and colleagues more across the board because they feel more connected, as they actually know who they're working with.
2. Step outside the traditional office setting
Remember that major business decisions generally aren’t made sitting at a formal table where all view it as work. They happen on the "golf course" while the partners are playing a game or out at dinner. I’d say 96 percent of my professional moves were outside of the formal work environment.
Back in 1993, 93% of executives said golfing with someone was way better for building relationships than sitting in a conference room, and over a third admitted their biggest deals happened on the golf course. Research found that 75% of executives believe these casual social settings help strengthen business relationships because everyone's way more relaxed and willing to actually talk instead of just doing the formal business dance.
3. Make it easy for people to speak up and swap ideas
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Take the initiative to set up lunch meetings, phone calls, activities, or some space where you can exchange ideas that don’t immediately result in action taken. The interactions are meant to cultivate synergy between you and the network rather than get to business.
A study of 580 tech employees found that when people felt safe enough to throw out ideas without getting shut down, they came up with way more innovative stuff, and it all came down to how freely they could communicate. Workers who feel safe are way more likely to speak up, ask questions, and share what they're really thinking, which creates the kind of trust and collaboration where actual innovation happens.
4. Get curious about what excites other people
See this curiosity about your network’s interests as an investment. The more effort you put into it, the more returns you will get. Let’s say you meet Jane Doe at a park event, and you exchange contact info. Then you set up a time to meet for lunch to discuss a potential collaboration. You helped her by offering a resource for something she’s working on personally. You discussed the potential project, then ended the meeting.
A week later, you receive an email from your new contact, giving you a lead on something you said you were working on personally. That quickly solved your problem. Your return came to you. Now, imagine you have a network of 10 contacts looking out for you as you’re looking out for them. Then imagine how fast your goals could move if you had 25 contacts all working the net in some form.
People who are genuinely curious about their coworkers' lives and interests end up way more satisfied at work, more engaged in what they're doing, and build healthier relationships that actually boost innovation. Studies showed that workplace friendships naturally grow from discovering shared interests and lifestyles, and since people spend more time at work than with their own families, these connections make a huge difference in how comfortable and supported everyone feels.
Quality over quantity, of course, but I hope you can envision this. Instead of "always be closing," I like the idea of "always be networking" because it’s the same as saying, "continue building relationships with people."
Since we’re an interdependent species, we will always need the various skills, abilities, and experiences provided by a community. And communities are built upon relationships, and relationships are developed through networking.
Trent Rhodes is a Career Development Consultant, Literary Artist, and Metaphysician, empowering clients to become their highest self-image in personal and professional life. He challenges those at the cusp of awakening to take the next step and transform at their edge.
