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Your Network: A Future Focused View

August 23, 2021 By Sherry Dutra Leave a Comment

When you consider your network, you likely look at those people you already know and consider ways in which to nurture and grow these relationships. Frankly, doing so is an important part of building and maintaining a vital network. However, where you can go wrong is in limiting your approach to only those people you already know and neglecting to consider important connections, you may need to develop, that align with your career vision.

To take a more powerful view of your network, look out to where you’d like to be in your career in the next three to five years and work backwards from there.

Here are a few practical steps to guide you:

  1. Give yourself time to consider your ideal career, three to five years from now.
  2. If you achieve your vision, who will be the people you know and who know you? Be bold here. Consider the leaders in your field as well as in your community.
  3. Now, working backwards, write the story of how you developed a relationship with these people. What projects did you work on? Which professional associations were you a part of? Who were the people that made pivotal introductions for you? What did you do to ramp up your professional development? What leadership roles did you take on?
  4. In what ways do you want to show up differently to attract the people and opportunities that will make your story a reality?
  5. What is the most impactful step you could take now to start expanding your network in a powerful way that aligns with your desired future?

Consider this a twist on the traditional view of networking. Rather than starting from where you are, step into the future, and work your way backwards.

This approach can feel a bit intimidating as it may call upon you to step up your game and reinvent how you show up.

Yet, if you want to reach your career aspirations, then you must be the type of professional that you’d like to attract into your network of relationships. The steps outlined above encourage you to assess how you show up now as a leader and how you need to show up to attract the professional network that will support you in reaching your dreams. And, in the process, you will have the opportunity to help others do the same.

Adapted with permission by Center for Executive Coaching.

About the Author: Sherry Dutra is a Talent Development, Career and Retirement Coach and Facilitator who works with corporate leaders in small to mid-size businesses, across the span of their careers. She helps them to accelerate business outcomes and team performance, navigate their own career path, and transition to retirement with ease using proven methodologies and strategies that get results. If you would like to uncover and address hidden challenges that may be sabotaging your success, leverage your strengths, and accelerate your progress toward the results you desire, contact Sherry for a complimentary consultation.

Filed Under: business building, career, career success, networking, relationships Tagged With: career development, career success, networking, success, transformation

Networking – It’s Not a Dirty Word

February 28, 2020 By Sherry Dutra Leave a Comment

When you hear the word “networking”, what immediately comes to mind for you?  Do you cringe and want to retreat into the safety of your home?  Do you feel as though it’s about pitching your wares, trading business cards and manipulating people?  If so, it’s no wonder that you resist doing it.  Who wants to feel like they are using others and being viewed as insincere?

A Key Success Factor for Life
Often a key factor of my clients’ success strategy includes networking of some sort.  Whether they are:

  • exploring a new career path,
  • seeking a new job,
  • looking to expand their leadership capabilities
  • starting or building a small business or
  • considering a transition to retirement,

connecting with and learning from others helps them to reach their goals. However, when networking is brought up, it is often met with resistance and a very undesirable view.

Points to Ponder
Yet, it doesn’t have to be that way.  If you come from a perspective of networking that is based on building relationships and seeking opportunities to add value, you can change your entire experience of connecting with others.  How might you feel differently about networking if you considered the following questions prior to your next networking opportunity?

  • What can I share and offer that is valuable to others?
  • What can I do to help someone else feel comfortable?
  • How can I contribute to another’s success?
  • How can I truly listen to what another is saying so I can identify ways to help them?
  • Who do I know who would be a great connection for this person?
  • How can I simply engage in a relaxing conversation with someone?
  • What am I curious about regarding this person?
  • How can I be my true self and make genuine connections with people?

Call to Action
What does networking mean to you now? Hopefully, you are beginning to see networking in a more positive light.  One in which you build relationships based on true connection, integrity and mutual support.  I invite you to create an opportunity to network with someone over the next week and focus on building a new relationship or deepen an existing one. Feel free to share how shifting your mindset around networking impacted your experience.

About the Author: Sherry Dutra is a Talent Development, Career and Retirement Coach and Facilitator who works with corporate leaders in small to mid-size businesses, across the span of their careers. She helps them to accelerate business outcomes and team performance, navigate their own career path, and transition to retirement with ease using proven methodologies and strategies that get results. If you would like to uncover and address hidden challenges that may be sabotaging your success, leverage your strengths, and accelerate your progress toward the results you desire, contact Sherry for a complimentary consultation.

 

Filed Under: career, career success, Leadership, networking, relationships Tagged With: career change, career success, entrepreneurship, leadership, networking, success

Networking – What Does it Mean to You?

April 20, 2016 By Sherry Dutra Leave a Comment

When you hear the word “networking”, what immediately comes to mind for you? Do you cringe and want to retreat into the safety of your home?  Do you feel as though it’s about pitching your wares, trading business cards and manipulating people?  If so, it’s no wonder that you resist doing it.  Who wants to feel like they are using others and being viewed as insincere?

Often a key factor of my clients’ success strategy includes networking of some sort. Whether they are:

  • exploring a new career path,
  • seeking a new job,
  • looking to expand their leadership capabilities,
  • starting or building a small business, or
  • considering a transition to retirement,

connecting with and learning from others helps them to reach their goals. However, when networking is brought up, it is often met with resistance and a very undesirable view.

Yet, it doesn’t have to be that way. If you come from a perspective of networking that is based on building relationships and seeking opportunities to add value, you can change your entire experience of connecting with others.  How might you feel differently about networking if you considered the following questions prior to your next networking opportunity?

  • What can I share and offer that is valuable to others?
  • What can I do to help someone else feel comfortable?
  • How can I contribute to another’s success?
  • How can I truly listen to what another is saying so I can identify ways to help them?
  • Who do I know who would be a great connection for this person?
  • How can I simply engage in a relaxing conversation with someone?
  • How can I be my true self and make genuine connections with people?

What does networking mean to you now? Hopefully, you are beginning to see networking in a more positive light ~ one in which you build relationships based on true connection, integrity and mutual support.

Filed Under: business building, career change, credibility, Leadership, networking, small business Tagged With: career change, leadership, networking, small business

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