Building Bridges Tip October 1999

Welcome to the first column of Building Bridges. This column, a forum for the SIOP Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs (CEMA), will serve as a useful tool for anyone interested in improving networking skills. In future columns I will cover topics such as making the most out of professional conferences, maintaining a conversation after you say "hello," practicing proper business card "etiquette," staying in touch throughout the years, and building lasting relationships with your colleagues. This column will be of benefit to academics, practitioners, and students wishing to improve their networking skills. In this first column, I focus on the importance of networking, as well as on some networking strategies.

What is Networking?

Initially, I considered entitling this column "Working the Room," but I was afraid that would conjure up some of the negative perceptions of networkingsmarmy conventioneers ramming their business cards in your hand as they turn to see whether anyone more important is in the room. This is not the vision of networking to which I am referring. I am talking about the process of sharing information, contacts, ideas, resources, advice, and so forth, for the mutual benefit of both parties. If you have established and nurtured your network properly, you will have developed several new, lasting professional and business relationships.

Why Should I Network?

First of all, let's face it. The very old adage: "It's not what you know, it's who you know," has been replaced by a more accurate one: "It's not who you know, it's who knows you!" In order to be a success, it is important to focus on getting your name out there, and helping people to connect your name, face, and skill set with potential opportunities.

Those who are currently on the job market know the importance of networking. The majority of positions are filled through referrals. Networking is of value to others as well. Consider the following scenarios: You have a terrific idea for a new research project, but you cannot do it alone and need to find a collaborator. You are considering applying for a position at another university, and you need to submit three letters of recommendation. You have a new consulting practice but don't know how to reach your target market. All of these problems could be solved through networking.

How Should I Network?

Perhaps you already know that networking is valuable, but you don't know how to get started. Networking, like many skills, is an acquired talent that can be developed, with practice, over time.

Identifying your "gives" and "gets." Successful networking is not merely a process of exchanging business cards. You must network with a purpose. You are attempting to achieve a desired goal. Begin by identifying your "gets." What do you hope to accomplish through networkinga new position, additional clients, tenure, promotion, a research site? Next, think about what you have to offer others, your "gives"experience with SPSS or SAS, a new marketing method, stacks of survey data that have yet to be analyzed? Remember that networking involves an exchange. It is the process of trading what you have for what you need.

Identifying contacts. Who are your potential contacts? A good starting point is to think about the people most likely to help you get your "gets:" your colleagues, coworkers, current and former professors, clients, family and friends, acquaintances met at professional meetings, conferences, and workshops, and more. However, don't limit yourself to people you already know. The person you meet at next week's seminar may not be the person who has the data you need, but they may be a connection to the person you need.

Connecting. Be prepared to make "meaningful small talk." Don't just talk about the weather. Talk about what you learned from the guest speaker, about what brought you to today's meeting, about the difficulties you have been experiencing in obtaining research subjects. It is through the casual conversations you have with people that they begin to understand your needs and through which you can understand theirs. Once you have developed rapport, exchange business cards. Jot down some information about the person on the back of the card to jog your memory later. For example, where you met and what you discussed. I learned this lesson the hard way. Too many times I have come home from a conference with a briefcase full of cards from people I could not remember.

Staying in touch. The SIOP conference is several months behind us nowdid you follow up with everyone you said you would? Follow-up is the most important part of networking. If you said you'd callcall! If you said you'd send a copy of your papersend it! Simple? Yes. But often when we return home we forget about the promises that we made. I know that you're busy. We all are. We don't always have the time for getting together for lunch to nurture the new relationships we've established. However, that shouldn't be an excuse for not keeping up with the new people you've met. Why not let the wonders of modern technology work to your advantage? E-mail, voice mail, and faxes are all quick ways of keeping in touch. "Snail mail" is still effective too!

The title of this column is "Building Bridges." I wouldn't want to cross a bridge that was built in a day. Bridges, like relationships, require time. The key is to stay in contact with the people in your network so that they remember you at the next conference. The consultant you met at last week's workshop might not know of any position openings today, but she might have the perfect position for you 6 months from now. Wouldn't it be a shame if she couldn't remember your name?

When and Where Should I Network?

Whether you are a student, academic, or a practitioner, when it comes to networking, you are in the business of sharing information. Obviously, some of the best places for information-sharing are professional conferences, such as the conferences of SIOP, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, and the Academy of Management. Look for regional and local conferences, workshops, and meetings, as well. You can also network in the comfort of your own home office, through e-mail discussion groups. To join the CEMA discussion group, send the following one-line message to listserv@lists.cudenver.edu: SUBSCRIBE CEMA [your name].

You can and should be prepared to network everywhere and all the time. In fact, just the other day I was on the train, when the man sitting next to me commented on the book I was reading. We struck up a conversation and he told me he was a computer consultant. He was able to give me a number of good ideas about getting my web site up and running. Had I not been open to the conversation, I might have missed out on some good tips!

Most importantly, don't wait until the eleventh hour to begin networking. It takes time to cultivate contacts and to develop trusting, reciprocal relationships. Few people will put forth a great deal of effort to help a stranger find a job, but they might for a person they met at a conference long ago, and with whom they have kept in contact over the years.

Read About Networking

A vital part of this column will involve sharing strategies for success. In this section, I will list popular networking books and informative research-based articles. Reviews of these and other networking titles are welcome.

Baber, A., & Waymon, L., (1992). Great Connections: Small Talk and Networking for Business People. 2^nd Edition. Manassas Park, VA: Impact Publications.

Fraser, G. C. (1994). Success Runs in Our Race: The Complete Guide to Effective Networking in the African American Community. New York: William Morrow & Company.

CEMA News

As Beth Chung, CEMA Chair, mentioned in the last issue of TIP, the networking task force has several activities planned for SIOP 2000. If you would like to be involved in the networking task force, please contact me. Suggestions for activities and programs are encouraged.

If you would like to be included in the mailing list/directory of individuals interested in CEMA activities, please contact Crissie Frye at cmfrye@aol.com.

Jim Outtz heads the mentoring task force and is seeking ethnic minority protgs who have either already graduated or are very advanced in their Ph.D. program. If you would like to have a mentor, you may contact him at jlouttz@aol.com.

Final Thoughts

Some of you may be successful networkers with lots of tricks of the trade to share. Others may be just learning how to network and could benefit from the experiences of others. I look forward to sharing networking ideas and suggestions with you, and I hope that you will also share your thoughts, advice, and questions with me. Let's make this an "interactive" column. See you next issue!

If you have comments, column ideas and/or would like to contribute to Building Bridges, please contact K. Denise Bane, at The Orris Center for Professional Development, 1010 Prospect Avenue, Plainfield, NJ 07060, Tel: (908) 561_4427, Fax: (908) 561_6009, dbane@orriscenter.com.

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