During a recent discussion I overheard the statement that ‘your net worth depends on your net-work’ which in turn sparked lots of commentary around what and how people were doing to build, approach and engage with their networks. Interestingly many found it easier to discuss what steps were being taken to tap into new networks rather than reconnecting with old ones.
When speaking of ‘old’ or past networks many referred to them with a disappointed sigh as a missed opportunity or simply placed them in the too hard basket when talk arose about how they would actually re-engage. At the heart of it was a fear of being perceived as disingenuous or as a ‘taker’ only reappearing because of a need or agenda.
This fear is no more evident than when individuals find themselves looking to take on a new role or relocate cities or countries. There is no denying that our networks are critical during these times and often are sources for new roles and / or play a key part in how smoothly we transition. However our past networks can also play a critical role in our immediate success simply because of the way we now do business. With a much stronger need to innovate, collaborate and identify key outsourced business partnerships, our networks can be powerful influencers on how we achieve our outcomes.