Building the Network

I’m finally burrowing myself out from under a pile of manuscripts and other projects that need tending to after the ALA Midwinter Conference in Seattle. As in the case of vacation, the work doesn’t disappear while at conference, but, also as in the case of vacation, conference fuels me with ideas and energy that stay with me throughout the year.

What’s the appeal of conference? Networking. The opportunity to share ideas with like-minded peers, maybe pick up a few ideas and perspectives. I was talking with one very forward-thinking librarian who made a point–that I’m about to butcher because I can’t remember the eloquent way she said it– but it was about the importance of giving of yourself in your networking situations. Coming at it with a selfless spirit. This is a crude way of putting it, but it was something like “You gotta give to get.”

Actually, I think that philosophy goes beyond just networking and is a key element of success: that is, generosity. One of the (non-ALA Editions) books I’ve been working my way through these day is called Never Eat Along and Other Secrets to Success One Relationship at a Time, whose lead author Keith Ferrazzi is a hugely successful marketing and sales consultant…one of those who started out from very humble beginnings, but used extraordinary skills connecting with people to succeed.
Ferrazzi describes the “networking jerk,” who, in some people’s minds may look like the ideal networker…the person who walks into the room armed with a martini, business cards, a “prerehearsed elevator pitch always at the ready”. This is the person who’s eyes constantly dart around the room looking for the most important person to talk to.

To Ferrazzi, the really great networkers are those who aren’t there to schmooze, but those who are there to help others make connections that will help them succeed. In other words, you use your network to help others in your network. A librarian you meet at a conference tells you how the library she’s working at has an increasingly aging population and she wants to create services for seniors. Wait a minute, a former colleague has started some successful senior programs at his library. How can you connect them?

The time for networking isn’t when you need something. A successful person (says Ferrazzi) is working on connecting and building his or her network all the time. To paraphrase him paraphrasing Dale Carnegie: You’ll be far more successful investing a little bit of time becoming genuinely interested in another’s success than you would spending years trying to get other people interested in your success.

In this regard, many librarians I’ve met are natural networkers. Most come into a situation expecting and wanting to help.

Still, it’s a good reminder when you find yourself in situation when you’re supposed to be networking. Think generosity. Think, How can I make this other person succeed? In my opinion, it takes some of the pressure off and makes the whole thing much more fun.