Ep.63: Networking and the Gift Economy

So why is networking so important? Um, it's a way that we can get learning and mentoring for something that we haven't actually done before.

So not just to read about it or study, but to understand what it's really like in the day-to-day to have a specific job or to use a specific skill set, to understand what I need to know to do that job or what's it gonna take to get f- from where I am today to where I wanna go.

And it can be sometimes as simple as just, um, reaffirming that you're not sort of crazy about how you're experiencing something to get somebody else's perspective, that they may be facing similar challenges or struggles that, that you have.

Within organizational life, it's often the way that we get things done.

Um, you know, thinking about working through people as opposed to through processes.

Yes, processes are important for sure.

Um, but a lot of the time, the process doesn't always keep up with the way things actually get done, um, or it may be a longer route to accomplish what you need to accomplish.

Or it may not even be obvious what a process is, where you can reach out to somebody and they may be able to point you to directions and steps to do something that ar- aren't actually written down anywhere because they, they've changed or for whatever reason.

Um, your professional network is yours.

You can take it with you in a way that you can't a lot of other professional artifacts.

Uh, we've talked a little bit in the past about how jobs can be ephemeral, especially in the current environment with layoffs and things like that.

Your professional networks don't have to be.

They can go with you with, um, either when you leave or if people in your network leave and go and disperse throughout other companies or industries.

You don't have to lose those connections, and in fact, they can build more connections as they move into other organizations and then con- connect you there as well.

Um, your professional network is an investment, and it will provide you dividends.

Um, but investments take work.

You, you don't get it for free.

You have to maintain this network and put effort into it.

Um, so that's a little bit about why networking is important from a professional sense.