In this more hyper connected, competitive world of business, relationships are a vital commodity both for your enjoyment at work and the career you forge.

You benefit because according to Gallup people who have friends at work are seven times more likely to be engaged in the workNot surprising, after all, we’re human beings and one of our basic needs is social bonding!

But that’s not all Gallup has uncovered about work relationships because there is an enormous career upswing to having a robust relationship network:

As Jessica Stillman wrote: being in an open network instead of a closed one (closed networks are people who already know each other) is the best predictor of career success. Additionally, recent research reveals 85 percent of all jobs are filled through networking.

When it comes to social media a Hinge Research Institute study reports 96 percent of respondents say their involvement in social media for professional purposes has helped their career. It also revealed that 76 percent of the respondents say that social media assists them to keep up with industry trends.

It is not enough to lead from the isolation of only what you know and what your organization knows. Today’s marketplace demands a much broader perspective grounded in a robust network of Relationships.

Establishing such a far-reaching network mandates that you’re consciously plugging into relationships to access information and resources perhaps not typically available. Why should you take the time to expand your network of relationships? Because:

  • Networking grants you access to the treasury of the kingdom. It connects you to people, advice, information, resources, favors, and support typically not available to you.
  • Powerful Relationships provides you with cross-organizational contacts advancing positive buzz or turning around negative perceptions about you and your abilities—even when you’re not present.
  • With businesses measuring performance quarter-to-quarter, combating competition, changing work conditions, and unpredictable economic times even the brightest and best may run into performance dips or bad times. Your network helps protect you.
  • This wider view is what companies expect from their high potential, skilled employees as it gains you a far-reaching understanding of the business. Your broad-ranging network offers you advantages for your entire career.

It should be clear by now, the larger your network of contacts—internally and externally—the more powerful a future you will generate and the happier and more productive you will be. How hard is it for you to commit to adding one or two new network relationships each month and is that too high a  price to pay for a career with growth?

 

Career Advancement Strategies

We will never share, sell or trade
your information to anyone. Period!

Thank you! Please feel free to contact me anytime!