Strategic Connections: The New Face of Networking in a Collaborative World
256
Strategic Connections: The New Face of Networking in a Collaborative World
256Paperback
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Overview
Smartphones, social media, and the Internet can only get a professional so far. At some point, the success of an organization will depend on face-to-face relationships, which means the isolated employees trying to do everything virtually will at some point have to fall back on the tried-and-true, essential skill of relationship building if they are going to survive in today’s increasingly collaborative workforce.
You will discover how to:
- Commit to a positive, proactive networking mindset
- Earn trust
- Boost their social acumen and increase their likeability
- Master conversational skills and deepen interactions
- Employ storytelling to make communications memorable
Businesses don’t have to look very far to find employees with a strong presence in the different social networks. If you want to stand out and make yourself invaluable to your organization, focus on making your presence known in the company’s physical networks.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781400245611 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | AMACOM |
| Publication date: | 03/05/2024 |
| Pages: | 256 |
| Sales rank: | 1,107,573 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.52(d) |
About the Author
LYNNE WAYMON cofounded Contacts Count, an international training firm, 24 years ago. They are the authors of Make Your Contacts Count. ANDR' ALPHONSO
ANDR' ALPHONSO manages Contacts Count in Australia and India. JIM WYLDE is a Principal Consultant and Certified Trainer with the firm.
JIM WYLDE is a Principal Consultant and Certified Trainer with the firm.
Read an Excerpt
PREFACE
The Overwhelming Case for Face to Face
Here's the challenge: Network with a new purpose, collaborate in ways you never have before, and impact your organization. A new paradigm is emerging, a paradigm we call the Network-Oriented Workplace.
In the new workplace, whether you're a CEO or an employee, you have a new role to play—and new opportunities for contributing to your organization's success. Strategic Connections shows you how to commit to this new networker identity.
But, to become a player in the new environment, you'll need more than the mindset. You'll need to master advanced face-to-face skills. What's the value of face to face? Trust. Without trust, the collaboration needed to excel in today's environment is very unlikely.
We know something about this topic. Since 1990, we've been talking about, thinking about, and training people in face-to-face networking. A wide variety of corporate, academic, and government organizations have been not only our clients, but also our proving ground for the state-of-the-art tools and techniques presented in this, our eighth, book.
The Way to Collaboration
Figure P—1, The Big Picture, depicts the only route to collaboration. There are no shortcuts. Start reading at the bottom and work your way up. Equipped with The 8 Competencies for the Network-Oriented Workplace (see Figure P—2), you can move along to teach your contacts, both inside and outside the organization, to trust you. With trust, you can advance to relationships that are more productive and useful. As these relationships progress, your networks are energized. With your networking contacts, you connect, converse, and ultimately collaborate. (Many leaders assume—and it's a huge misconception—that most people instinctively know how to take these steps and that there are no skills that can speed you onward. Those assumptions simply are not true.)
Chapters 1 through 8 are devoted to helping you acquire each of these competencies, and each chapter is filled with examples, tips, tools, strategies, and stories to help you learn. Mastering these skills will assure that you're able to use networking to make the strategic connections you need to achieve your goals at work, in your career, and for the wider organization.
Make an Impact
In the new Network-Oriented Workplace, you direct your networking efforts to impact the big organizational issues.
• Your collaboration impacts strategy execution, speeding responsiveness and improving productivity.
• Your collaboration impacts innovation, prompting more risk taking, thinking outside the box, and experimenting.
• Your collaboration impacts engagement, raising satisfaction and eliciting your best.
• Your collaboration impacts competitiveness, streamlining processes, bringing in the business, and keeping and expanding the current client base.
This book is your guide for creating your success, as well as contributing to the success of your organization, by developing the networking skills that drive 21st-century collaborative workplaces.
—Anne Baber, Lynne Waymon,
André Alphonso, and Jim Wylde
Table of Contents
CONTENTS
Preface: The Compelling Case for Face to Face IX
The Way to Collaboration IX
Make an Impact XI
Introduction: The Eight Must-Have Skills for Strategic Connections 1
What's the Back Story? 2
Why Put Face to Face Out Front? 4
What Are the Benefits? 5
How to Use This Book 9
1 Commit to a New Networker Identity / 10
Strategic Connections: Explore Opportunities 10
Analyze Your Attitudes 11
The Nine Biggest Misconceptions About Networking 12
The Definition of Networking 15
Become a Strategic Networker 16
Activate Your Networker Identity 17
Manage Your Mindset 19
2 Take a Strategic Approach / 26
Strategic Connections: Raise Rainmakers 26
Networking in the Collaborative Culture 27
Put Some Purpose in Your Small Talk 33
Connect at ChoicePoints 38
Connect in Groups 43
Make the Most of Your Memberships 51
Choose Your Goal 54
3 Envision Your Ideal Network / 61
Strategic Connections: Link Up HR Leaders 61
The Four Nets 62
Developing Your Nets 73
Your KeyNets 75
4 Develop Trusting Relationships / 83
Strategic Connections: Reach Out in the Community 83
Teach People to Trust You 84
Move Through the Six Stages of Trust 88
Renew Dormant Ties 93
Analyze Your Contacts 94
Next Steps: Consider the Risk and Value 97
Frequently Asked Questions 105
5 Increase Your Social Acumen / 108
Strategic Connections: Make Memberships Worthwhile 108
What Is Social Acumen? 109
The Name Exchange 109
Join Groups Comfortably 116
11 Tips for Avoiding Awkward Moments 119
End with the Future in Mind 123
The Likeability Link 128
6 Deepen Interactions / 133
Strategic Connections: Support Women's Leadership 133
Why People Don't Talk 134
Talk: Get into Dialogues That Build and Sustain Relationships 135
Question: Ask Questions That Make People Stop and Think 141
Listen: Pay Attention to the Three
Things That Are Important 145
Give: Offer Resources and Ideas That Signal
You Want to Connect and Collaborate 148
Reconnect: Follow Through and Stay in Touch in Ways That Build Trust 152
7 Communicate Expertise / 157
Strategic Connections: Tell the Story 157
Answering "What Do You Do?" 158
Frequently Asked Questions 165
Why Storytelling Works 170
Frequently Asked Questions 176
8 Create New Value / 179
Strategic Connections: Respond to Marketplace Changes 179
Clarifying Collaboration 181
Acting on the Three Principles 183
Build Trust Online 196
Mentor and Model 200
9 How to Develop and Support
Your Network-Oriented Workplace / 203
And the Word Is . . . 204
The Need for a Network-Oriented Workplace 205
What's Your Organization's Networker Identity? 209
Create Connections 213
Spark Conversation 217
Foster Collaboration 221
Suggested Reading 231
Index 233
About the Authors 239