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2016-04-29 09:04:43
Tiziana CasciaroFrancesca GinoMaryam Kouchaki
From the May 2016 Issue
I hate networking. We hear this all the time from executives, other
professionals, and MBA students. They tell us that networking makes them feel
uncomfortable and phony even dirty. Although some people have a natural passion
for it namely, the extroverts who love and thrive on social interaction many
understandably see it as brown-nosing, exploitative, and inauthentic.
But in today s world, networking is a necessity. A mountain of research shows
that professional networks lead to more job and business opportunities, broader
and deeper knowledge, improved capacity to innovate, faster advancement, and
greater status and authority. Building and nurturing professional relationships
also improves the quality of work and increases job satisfaction.
When we studied 165 lawyers at a large North American law firm, for example, we
found that their success depended on their ability to network effectively both
internally (to get themselves assigned to choice clients) and externally (to
bring business into the firm). Those who regarded these activities as
distasteful and avoided them had fewer billable hours than their peers.
Fortunately, our research shows that an aversion to networking can be overcome.
We ve identified four strategies to help people change their mindset.
1. Focus on Learning
Most people have a dominant motivational focus what psychologists refer to as
either a promotion or a prevention mindset. Those in the former category
think primarily about the growth, advancement, and accomplishments that
networking can bring them, while those in the latter see it as something they
are obligated to take part in for professional reasons.
In laboratory experiments we conducted in the United States and Italy with
college students and working adults, and in an additional sample of 174 lawyers
at the firm we studied, we documented the effects of both types of thinking.
Promotion-focused people networked because they wanted to and approached the
activity with excitement, curiosity, and an open mind about all the
possibilities that might unfold. Prevention-focused people saw networking as a
necessary evil and felt inauthentic while engaged in it, so they did it less
often and, as a result, underperformed in aspects of their jobs.
Thankfully, as Stanford University s Carol Dweck has documented in her
research, it s possible to shift your mindset from prevention to promotion, so
that you see networking as an opportunity for discovery and learning rather
than a chore.
Consider a work-related social function you feel obliged to attend. You can
tell yourself, I hate these kinds of events. I m going to have to put on a
show and schmooze and pretend to like it. Or you can tell yourself, Who knows
it could be interesting. Sometimes when you least expect it, you have a
conversation that brings up new ideas and leads to new experiences and
opportunities.
If you are an introvert, you can t simply will yourself to be extroverted, of
course. But everyone can choose which motivational focus to bring to
networking. Concentrate on the positives how it s going to help you boost the
knowledge and skills that are needed in your job and the activity will begin to
seem much more worthwhile.
2. Identify Common Interests
The next step in making networking more palatable is to think about how your
interests and goals align with those of people you meet and how that can help
you forge meaningful working relationships. Northwestern University s Brian
Uzzi calls this the shared activities principle. Potent networks are not
forged through casual interactions but through relatively high-stakes
activities that connect you with diverse others, he explains. (See How to
Build Your Network, HBR, December 2005.) Numerous studies in social psychology
have demonstrated that people establish the most collaborative and
longest-lasting connections when they work together on tasks that require one
another s contributions. Indeed, research that one of us (Tiziana) conducted
with INSEAD s Miguel Sousa Lobo showed that this task interdependence can be
one of the biggest sources of positive energy in professional relationships.
Consider the approach taken by Claude Grunitzky, a serial entrepreneur in the
media industries, when he set out to meet Jefferson Hack, founder of the
underground British style and music magazine Dazed & Confused. As described in
a Harvard Business School case study by Julie Battilana, Lakshmi Ramarajan, and
James Weber, Grunitzky then 22 and preparing to found his first business, an
urban hip-hop magazine in London learned everything he could about Hack.
I read every one of his magazines, noticed what he was writing about and what
kinds of bands he reviewed, Grunitzky recalled. I did so much of this I felt
I could almost understand his personality before we met. Armed with that
knowledge and convinced that he and Hack had similar worldviews and
aspirations, Grunitzky felt much more comfortable approaching the industry
elder.
When your networking is driven by substantive, shared interests you ve
identified through serious research, it will feel more authentic and meaningful
and is more likely to lead to relationships that have those qualities too.
3. Think Broadly About What You Can Give
Even when you do not share an interest with someone, you can probably find
something valuable to offer by thinking beyond the obvious. Of course, this isn
t always easy. We ve found that people who feel powerless because they are
junior in their organizations, because they belong to a minority, or for other
reasons often believe they have too little to give and are therefore the least
likely to engage in networking, even though they re the ones who will probably
derive the most benefit from it.
This problem was highlighted in two studies we conducted at the law firm
mentioned above, which involved different groups of lawyers at different points
in time. We found that senior people were typically much more comfortable
networking than junior people were because of their greater power in the
organization. This makes sense. When people believe they have a lot to offer
others, such as wise advice, mentorship, access, and resources, networking
feels easier and less selfish.
A controlled experiment confirmed this finding: People in whom we induced
feelings of power found networking less repulsive and were more willing to do
it than people assigned to a condition that made them feel powerless.
If Networking Makes You Feel Dirty, You re Not Alone
Many people find professional networking so distasteful that it makes them feel
morally and physically dirty. In a controlled experiment, we asked 306 adults
working at various organizations to write about times when they engaged either
in networking for professional advancement or in social networking to make
friends. We then asked them to complete word fragments, such as W _ _ H, S H _
_ E R, and S _ _ P a measure of subconscious preferences first used by Chen-Bo
Zhong, of the Rotman School of Management, and Katie Liljenquist, of the
Marriott School of Management.
Participants who had recalled professional networking wrote WASH, SHOWER,
and SOAP words associated with cleanliness twice as frequently as those who
had recalled social networking, who more often wrote neutral words such as
WISH, SHAKER, and STEP. In other words, although most participants viewed
networking to socialize and make friends as positive, they saw networking to
enhance their careers as distinctly negative. Their negativity was not simply
dislike or discomfort. It was a deeper feeling of moral contamination and
inauthenticity.
However, even those with lower rank and less power almost certainly have more
to offer than they realize. In their book Influence Without Authority, Allan
Cohen and David Bradford note that most people tend to think too narrowly about
the resources they have that others might value. They focus on tangible,
task-related things such as money, social connections, technical support, and
information, while ignoring less obvious assets such as gratitude, recognition,
and enhanced reputation. For instance, although mentors typically like helping
others, they tend to enjoy it all the more when they are thanked for their
assistance.
The more heartfelt the expression of gratitude, the greater its value to the
recipient. One young professional we know told us that when she turned 30, she
wrote to the 30 people she felt had contributed the most to her professional
growth, thanking them and describing the specific ways each had helped her. The
recipients no doubt appreciated the personalized update and acknowledgement.
When gratitude is expressed publicly, it can also enhance an adviser s
reputation in the workplace. Think of the effect you have when you sing your
boss s praises to your colleagues and superiors, outlining all the ways you ve
progressed under his or her tutelage.
When your networking is driven by shared interests, it will feel more
authentic.
People also appreciate those who understand their values and identities and
make them feel included. Juan, an Argentinian executive based in the Toronto
office of a Canadian property management company, told us about Hendrik, a
junior hire from Germany who rallied everyone in the office to join a series of
soccer games that he single-handedly organized. His fellow expats and there
were many, because the company s workforce was internationally diverse finally
had something fun to do with their colleagues, and Hendrik s status and
connections immediately shot up. In spite of his low-power position, he had
brought something new to the table.
You might also have unique insights or knowledge that could be useful to those
with whom you re networking. For example, junior people are often better
informed than their senior colleagues about generational trends and new markets
and technologies. Grunitzky is a prime example. I knew I could bring something
to [Jefferson Hack], which was expertise in hip-hop, he said. The relationship
ended up being a two-way street.
When you think more about what you can give to others than what you can get
from them, networking will seem less self-promotional and more selfless and
therefore more worthy of your time.
4. Find a Higher Purpose
Another factor that affects people s interest in and effectiveness at
networking is the primary purpose they have in mind when they do it. In the law
firm we studied, we found that attorneys who focused on the collective benefits
of making connections ( support my firm and help my clients ) rather than on
personal ones ( support or help my career ) felt more authentic and less dirty
while networking, were more likely to network, and had more billable hours as a
result.
Any work activity becomes more attractive when it s linked to a higher goal. So
frame your networking in those terms. We ve seen this approach help female
executives overcome their discomfort about pursuing relationships with
journalists and publicists. When we remind them that women s voices are
underrepresented in business and that the media attention that would result
from their building stronger networks might help counter gender bias, their
deep-seated reluctance often subsides.
Andrea Stairs, managing director of eBay Canada, had just such a change in
perspective. I had to get over the feeling that it would be self-centered and
unseemly to put myself out there in the media, she told us. I realized that
my visibility is actually good for my company and for the image of women in the
business world in general. Seeing my media presence as a way to support my
colleagues and other professional women freed me to take action and embrace
connections I didn t formerly cultivate.
Many if not most of us are ambivalent about networking. We know that it s
critical to our professional success, yet we find it taxing and often
distasteful. These strategies can help you overcome your aversion. By shifting
to a promotion mindset, identifying and exploring shared interests, expanding
your view of what you have to offer, and motivating yourself with a higher
purpose, you ll become more excited about and effective at building
relationships that bear fruit for everyone.
A version of this article appeared in the May 2016 issue (pp.104 107) of
Harvard Business Review.
Tiziana Casciaro is an associate professor of organizational behavior and holds
the Professorship in Leadership Development at the University of Toronto s
Rotman School of Management.
Francesca Gino is a professor at Harvard Business School, a faculty affiliate
of the Behavioral Insights Group at Harvard Kennedy School, and the author of
Sidetracked: Why Our Decisions Get Derailed, and How We Can Stick to the Plan
(Harvard Business Review Press, 2013). She cochairs an HBS executive education
program on applying behavioral economics to organizational problems. Twitter:
@francescagino.
Maryam Kouchaki is an assistant professor of management and organizations at
Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. Her research focuses on
decision making and ethics.