The champions, leaders, and frontrunners always know what’s next before everyone else. For networking, we have a hunch that 2024 will be quite the paradigm shift. We want you in on it.
Some folks will try what worked the last couple years, and other folks like you think a little harder about what kind of network you want.
Here’s what everyone else will do:
And then there’s a select few of you/us who will buck the trend. We’re not going to stop at digital networking. We’re going to:
Together, and only together, our careers are going to skyrocket. Here’s what we’re going to do:
You will succeed or fail at networking (and possibly life) based on your intentions. Those of us who blossom in 2024 will do so because we intend to help people as much as we can. Once someone earns our trust, we’re going to do everything in our power to help them succeed.
We’re going to connect, refer, support, like, share, and introduce until we drop when someone in our network has a vision, mission, and character that deserves it. Pessimists be damned, we’re going to give. And even if that giving doesn’t noticeably come back to us, we know giving is its own reward. And we love it.
What else?
When it’s business, feel free to design, produce, implement, and everything else at scale. But what about you and me? We’re biological and spiritual beings with careers, not automated manufacturing facilities.
So why are we trying to network at scale? That’s not a thing. Sure, build your reputation on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, etc. But your reputation is not your network. What you put out there isn’t who you are.
This is what a reputation looks like: “I know a guy or gal who could maybe help.”
This is networking: “You have to call my buddy Dave, he knows exactly how to fix your problem” and “Wow, you’re working on XYZ? You have to meet Jackie, she loves helping people get started on that.”
In short, it’s trust. It’s vouching for someone with our name and reputation attached. It’s helping someone because we share our time generously with people we trust. It’s…relationships, not name recognition. And you can only build these trusting relationships with good old-fashioned handshakes, shared time, and authenticity.
You just can’t do that at scale. More on that later. So what else are we gonna do?
The smartest professionals get mentors in their own field, and network in other fields. You want to be a better coder? Get a mentor. You want more coding opportunities, vision into how your skill set fits in the larger business arena, or fresh perspectives? Build a high-trust network with people from other fields.
Why? Mentors in your field help you get better at your skill set and help you pursue known opportunities. They help you excel in career milestones and make wise decisions along the way.
Relationships outside your field bring unique viewpoints and unexpected opportunities. In other words, the good stuff. We’re all swimming in an ocean of knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns. It’s only people with diverse experiences, backgrounds, training, and perspectives that can help us think beyond our self-imposed horizons.
That, my friend, is the good stuff. What else?
In the 1990s, British anthropologist Robin Dunbar postulated that humans can only maintain about 150 close personal relationships. Everyone hijacks this theory for their own purposes, so we shall do the same for one good reason:
It’s true.
From a time perspective alone, none of us have enough time to build, invest in, and maintain more than 150 personal relationships. Heck, some of us have a hard time getting to 10 close personal relationships.
Either way, Dunbar’s Number (150) paints a vivid picture of how shallow our online connections are (digital networking) and how incredibly deep our personal relationships are. You may have 500+ connections on LinkedIn, but who do you call when you need insight or a helping hand? I bet it’s 10-15 people, tops.
That’s because it’s all about trust. Trust takes time, relationships take trust, networking takes relationship.
So you have a choice with your networking adventure this year:
We recommend #2. And if you’re looking for more people to meet, try this:
You can skip the digital drag and get straight to meeting whoever you want for businesseither at home or abroad. And by the way, it’s free! What’s in it for you?
Schedule real, in-person meetings: move beyond virtual interactions and foster genuine connections that digital platforms can’t replicate.
As you navigate the networking landscape in 2024, remember that the quality of connections far outweighs the quantity. Embrace authenticity, diversify your network across multiple fields, and if you really want to take your networking to the next level…consider using Tripally to get right to the meeting without the digital dance.
Elevate your networking game in 2024 with Tripally.
Sign up for the waitlist — launching soon!
Special thanks to Helena Lopes from Unsplash for our cover image.
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