In this lecture, we'll talk about a few common mistakes that people make as they
build a network and cultivate relationships.
The first and probably most important is
the mistake of waiting to network until you have an objective.
The ideas we've been talking about today are much more about a way of life.
It is a means rather than an end.
You should think in terms of social capital.
You should think about your informal networks as social capital you build and
cultivate, just as you might build your human capital.
Your network is something you bring to any situation, just like your education and
it's something you should grow in and of for itself incrementally over time.
Second common mistake, focusing on networking up.
It's appealing, alluring even, to try to get to know those who're all
ready in positions of power but there are few problems with this.
One, there's more competition, it's a scarce resource and the folks in those
positions of power have even less time to give then those at lower levels.
It also puts an undue focus on formal hierarchy and
you forget if you're only looking at those in positions of power,
you forget the informal sources of power as well.
Finally, a very practical consideration is one of the greatest sources of your
network is going to be who you know now and how they evolve over time.
The folks you were going to school with, the folks you're starting organizations
with, will move into positions of influence over time.
If you've neglected them along the way, then you won't have those networks
when they're actually in the positions where they can really make a difference.
Third common mistake,
thinking that your formal position is unrelated to the informal network.
We've spent so much time talking about informal network,
we don't want to neglect that there are relationship consequences,
network consequences, that come along with your formal position.
The job itself can drive the network, in fact, it's going to put you in proximity,
it's going to give you regular interaction with a distinct set of people.
It's an important way to think about that job, actually.
What is the informal network that's going to be impaired or
facilitated by the formal position?
It also takes a little bit of pressure off of the need to do the informal networking,
because you know that some of it's going to come from the formal side.
