I think it’s true that successful people tend to be well-connected. So, build yourself healthy networks. As I like to say – you can never have too many friends. Most people though, are not natural networkers though, so it helps to have some goals, and it helps to take some deliberate action. This article simply suggests some ideas.
You need (at least) two distinct areas for your network. One is a set of people who can help you to get your work done. If you have ‘go-to’ people who can help you to do your job, and they’re your friends, then they’re more likely to help. Remember that it’s a two-way street, though, so think about how you can help them as well. The second area involves befriending a set of people who can help you to become what you want to be. Having a set of informal mentors seems to me like a very sound plan. This set of people are likely to be more experienced than you (at least for now). It’s really worth working at your networks, and it’s probably worth being deliberate about this. So, be sure to make contact regularly – take the initiative and make a bit of effort. If a thing’s worth doing, then it’s worth doing, yes? I think it’s probably worth having a plan. Know who can help, and with what. There doesn’t seem to be much value in having a friend who’s a net ‘taker’, does there?
Be generous. It costs you nothing to help someone else, and in doing this you might just generate some credit. In his book “How to make friends and influence people” Dale Carnegie makes great play of this generosity of spirit, and I think he’s right.