Common Intern Mistakes To Avoid

Changing Your Mindset About Networking

Networking is an essential reality of the business world. However, according to Herminia Ibarra, an economist and professor at London Business School, networking is more than simply a skill. It’s a mindset.

In an article for the Harvard Business Review, Ibarra covers common misconceptions that surround networking.

“In my 20 years of teaching about how to build and use networks more effectively, I have found that the biggest barriers people typically face are not a matter of skill but mind-set,” Ibarra writes.

People Aren’t Born Naturally-Gifted at Networking

One misconception regarding networking, according to Ibarra, is that people are naturally gifted at networking. Rather, Ibarra says, if networking is a skill, anyone can improve on it.

Ibarra highlights the idea of people with “fixed” theories and people with “growth mindsets.” The latter of the two have the mindset that networking can be developed over time.

“If you believe that networking is a skill you can develop you are more likely to be motivated to improve it, work at it harder at it, and get better returns for your networking than someone with a fixed mind-set,” Ibarra writes.

“Natural” Relationships Form Homogenous Networks

The misconception that relationships should form naturally, Ibarra argues, is that when it comes to networking, there needs to be diversity.

If people networked and formed relationships “naturally,” Ibarra argues, “it’d create networks that are “neither useful to you nor useful to your contacts because they are too homogenous.”

In a Fast Company article, contributor Allison Jones highlights that to network well, individuals need to overcome the belief that networking must be organic. She further stresses the importance in growing and changing a network as you yourself grow and change. The only way to grow and change, Jones says, is to be deliberate.

“Heading to a conference? See who else will be there, schedule a time and place to meet, and think a bit about what you’d love to talk about,” Jones suggests in her article. “Love informational interviews? How often will you do them so you continue to make meaningful connections and grow in your career? What your networking looks like depends on your commitments, but it’s key to be deliberate about trying.”

Inner Circle vs. Outer Circle Network

Ibarra makes an important distinction between what we consider our inner circle of contacts and outer circle.

The inner circle, Ibarra says, consists of “close, high trust” relationships with people who know us well. The outer circle is the opposite – people we don’t know well yet or don’t see often.

A common misconception regarding networking is that our inner circle is more valuable than the outer. However, Ibarra argues the opposite.

“The problem with our trusted advisers and circle of usual suspects is not that they don’t want to help,” she writes. “It’s that they are likely to have the same information and perspective that we do.”

Ibarra cites research that shows weaker ties in our network actually allow for more “innovation and strategic flow.” It’s in this way, Ibarra argues, that we learn new things and connect to “far-flung information and resources.”

Networking can allow for more diverse connections and innovative ideas. The only way for that to happen, however, is to change your mindset about it.

“The only way you will come to understand that networking is one of the most important resources for your job and career is try it, and discover the value for yourself,” Ibarra writes.

Sources: Harvard Business Review, Fast Company