The Importance of Networking

Dec 18

Happy Saturday!

I've been talking about networks and networking a lot this week, but not in the way that you might be thinking.

In short, networking when done well has a lot less to do with you. How does this relate to your respective motherhood journeys? Check out the 2-min video for more thoughts on the topic. Or, check out the video transcription below the video.

Enjoy the weekend!

Petrushka

P.S. A recent coaching client just sent me this video about better networking through science by David Burkus, author of Friend of a Friend. It's worth a watch if you're not familiar with Burkus' thoughts on how our networks influence us.

P.P.S If you feel like this content would be useful to someone in your network, feel free to forward it or have them join the mailing list.

Networking is something that I'm passionate about as somebody who likes to build community and bring people together. But networking...I think we think about it in a very self-centered and self-interested way often.

And, actually if networks are to be working as they should, they are as much about giving as they are reaping the benefits of them. Right?

And, how does this relate to being a mother and being on our respective journeys as caretakers of small people? Well, if you haven't figured out already, you're not going to be able to do all the things by yourself, right? You can't take care of yourself, take care of your children, satiate your professional interests and do all of that work by yourself.

There is a moment where you realize it's not all possible and that's okay.

How can your network be supporting you as you walk this journey?

Well, the next question after that is, "What are you doing to feed your network?"

Now, we can think about networks in just a professional context, but I think it's really interesting to think about networks in a personal context as well. Who are the people around you? Who are their people around them? How are you feeding all of these different parties in a way that you are building a stronger network?

When you build a stronger network, you have basically a stronger support system around you, such that if you're looking for a new job or you're just interested in learning more about a school or wanting to hear more about any number of things that are related to your quality of life, your networks can be there to support you. Right?

So, I am offering this moment of reflection for you to think about what are you doing to feed your network and what are you looking to your network to do, right?

If we enter, connecting with people from a place of giving and, selflessness, not to the point of martyrdom, but, just knowing that when we enter a conversation or a potential relationship with a new friend, thinking about how we can support that person on the other side, we seek to build a stronger network of people around us that can hold us and support us in our most vulnerable moments and in our times of need.

So I leave you with that thought, "How are you feeding your networks knowing that those networks will also have your back, as you journey this path of motherhood?"

Have a great week.