Network

I have been surfing the net today in order to find websites about networks and how to build a network. I was surprised to see how well people articulate the necessity of a well organized network.  I was also highly disappointed about the fact that everybody is writing about the exact same thing: how the network can be used for personal gain.


"Useful for network success."
"Networking is about sharing knowledge,  show generosity and build confidence in others ".
"The goal of all these networks is to create results and reach goals through helping and receiving help from others."

I could not agree more, but there is one thing that constantly amazes me. No one says a word about how networking can be of value to others.

I'm not attacking those who work with networking this way. They say something very important about networking for each individual,  and about how each individual can build networks for personal and career building reasons.  I don’t mean that these types of networks are useless, and I don’t doubt that some people function much better both at work and in their private lives when they have good networks. It is essential and I totally agree that success is a lot easier to achieve when the network is strong and reliable.

However:  what about the “unselfish” networks? What about the kind of networks Marian Rui Slettebakken is so concerned about? The network being built on small talk according to the Americans? Are they of no value just because it's done the American way and based on small talk? Or could this kind of "superficial" network mean something to someone after all?

A friend of mine phoned me completely desperate and asked if I knew a computer geek who could come very quickly. It was Sunday, and her internet was down. She was dependent of her  network to be able to perform a specific job with deadline on Monday morning. Yep. My smalltalk had actually lead me to a total computer geek. I called and asked if he could do a job even though it was Sunday. He went to see her within the hour "for me," and fixed my friend's internet.

The important thing with the "superficial" networks is not to gain anything directly, but to put the right people in connection with each other. There is written very little about these networks, or the poeple who build these kinds of networks.  

Are you a natural born networker who easily connects other people? Go ahead. Do it. The world needs networkers who want to do this without having their ego or career boosted or get to know “the right” people.  

In this type of networking quantity is as important as quality - and quality is definitely an important factor.

In other words, I would not have called the geek if I did not know that he was really good.