Why networking is not comfortable (and doesn't have to be)

From my book

There are a number of books and networking experts who will tell you that networking is not difficult if you know certain secrets. They are wrong. Networking requires making efforts beyond what we would do unselfconsciously. Like watching your diet or starting an exercise program, it’s good for you but might not feel so fun the first day you try it.

Because networking is all about accessing your weak ties, it’s always about stretching out of your comfort zone. This can be tough. Says Lois Casaleggi, an advisor at the University of Chicago law school who is a lawyer herself, “When you mention networking to students, more than half of them visibly cringe.”  

What’s the benefit of networking? You access ideas, energies, perspectives, connections and possibilities that don’t exist within the bounds of your known life. You get a chance to learn about others and help them, and they get a chance to learn about and help you. You live more.

Comments

[Lois Casaleggi]

Funny to be purusing a blog post in my Reader and come across my name! Glad to see that the book is doing well and that you are getting this important information out there.

[stryker hip recall attorney]

The Creative Lawyer is a fantastic book based on the seminal work on finding authentic professional satisfaction.