STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING MEANINGFUL NETWORK - A REVIEW

This week, Albaqiyah Heritage Foundation hosted Mal. Ismail Auwal (ismaaga6) who navigated the above topic.

Ismail began by challenging the conventional assumption that 'network is about the people you know' but rather it's about the people who know you and know your capacity. The emphasis is therefore on the not just recalling your name but what you are capable of doing. This will prompt their mind to remember you in association with what you can offer. An efficient strategy of establishing network with people especially in a gathering is not mere exchanging contacts but making gestures that stick, an action to be remembered for as that calls for easier recollection.

Building network has to also be very intentional, the presenter stressed. You need to identify your values and ensure that the network you hope to build, align with such principles. Those guiding principles will help in carving your desired network be it social, intellectual, professional, spiritual or financial. The presenter further digested the aforementioned categories with relevant examples.

Three components were identified as the basic strategies for building a meaningful network thus:

I. Identify a niche.

II. Form a network around it, and

III. Contribute knowledge to that niche.

And writing has been found, especially with advent of social media, to be a powerful tool in contributing to knowledge in the desired niche. It will also allow you to attract the right people in the area that could look for your talent in the near future. 

One can also enroll in certain courses, not necessarily for the content of the course, but to meet up with like-minded that could play a role in his/her career development. One can travel to places where such audience can be found among other things. The closing quote by the presenter was “If you have to make more than three calls to connect with someone in the apex of your career/field, you have to put more energy in building your network.”

Fruitful deliberations set in, and calls were made to either conduct a workshop on this topic or rather another segment to properly have more grasp of the subject matter. Efforts also would likely be put in, to see how the young folk would be enlightened on this subject matter, so as to enable them to understand the concept of role modeling in an attempt to brighten their future from distorted mispriorities.

 

The session ended with a book recommendation titled ‘Networking Is Not Working’ by Derek Coburn.