Who are the more successful networkers, men or women? You might guess women because women seem like the natural talkers, while we tend to think of men as holding back. The facts indicate that men use networking more effectively than women, however. The results of a 1997 study conducted by EnterChange, an outplacement and career management consulting firm, and reported by Valerie Frazee in Workforce magazine, show, for example, that women are more likely than men to find their next job through an ad in the classifieds, while networking is a more effective strategy for men than women. Does that mean that women should start scouring the classifieds? No, it just means that men and women should use their different styles to greatest advantage. Consider the following:
- Women's networks tend to be more egalitarian and inclusive than men's, according to writer Kathy Harvey, who describes a career consulting company's experience with asking women to list people who might form part of their network. Women were more likely to mention people at lower levels than themselves, as well as those at the higher echelons, while men tend to focus on people with power and influence. Men may benefit from network contacts with greater clout, but women can take advantage of wider and more diverse circles of contacts. Some experts also say women are better at sharing than men, so both men and women may be able to expect more career-based generosity from female members of their networks than either gender can from men.
- Women have traditionally been expected to devote more time to family and domestic responsibilities, thus lacking as much time as men to build networks. We're starting to see more women networking out there on the golf course, for instance, but that's a fairly new phenomenon. To be truly competitive in the networking arena, women may have to put more time into making contacts -- and may have to ask their male partners to take on a bigger share in juggling family life and work.
- The number of all-women networking groups is increasing enormously, in part to create the same kind of networks that are already entrenched for men. An all-woman networking group can be enormously beneficial to women seeking mentors and contacts who've already succeeded in breaking through the glass ceiling. These groups also can be an efficient way to deal with the time crunch that curtails women's networking. Increasingly, women are organizing networks within their own companies, often with corporate support. Two books by Catalyst, the nonprofit research and advisory organization that works to advance women in business and the professions, provide detailed information about creating women's internal networks.
6. Find a mentor
If you do no other kind of networking, at least find yourself a mentor -- or let one find you. "While mentoring relationships are important for all organizational members, they are essential for women," writes Dorothy Perrin Moore in "Mentors can both protect women from discrimination and help them learn what men supposedly learn from the 'old boy's network' about how to navigate their way past obstacles to their career success." Echoes Caitlin Williams, "The majority of women who have succeeded in their careers and reached position of influence credit their participation in some sort of mentoring effort for getting them where they are today."
A mentor is that one person who can guide you, help you, take you under his or her wing, and nurture your career quest. A Yoda to your Luke Skywalker. A Glinda the Good Witch to your Dorothy Gale. What separates a mentor from the average network contact is long-term commitment and a deep-seated investment in your future. Where a typical network contact might be associated with quick introductions, exchanges of business cards, and phone calls, your relationship with a mentor likely involves long lunches and time spent in the mentor's office. A mentor is often in a position you'd like to be in and has the clout and connections to guide you to a similar position. He or she is someone you probably have unusually good chemistry with who will share stories with you of his or her own climb to success. An effective mentor isn't afraid to criticize constructively.
To find a mentor, identify someone you admire, and test the waters by asking advice. Be sure to reveal as much of yourself as possible. Mentors are most likely to invest themselves in those in whom they see a little of themselves, which is why you should never approach a prospective mentor in state of desperation or helplessness. The mentor wants to work with someone he or she can respect. He or she may even desire to mold the protégé in his or her own image, which is fine as long as the mentor is not too obsessive about it, and you are comfortable with the image into which you're being molded. You should have a good feel after a few meetings as to whether the rapport is right for a mentoring relationship. At that point, you can either come right out and ask the person to be your mentor, if that feels appropriate, or you can simply tell him or her how much you've benefited from the advice you've received so far and that you hope he or she will continue to share it with you. Although the mentor will tend to give a lot more than you do to the relationship, be sure to express regularly that you value and appreciate the mentor's guidance. The feeling of being needed and making a difference in a protégé's life will often be a rewarding payoff for the mentor.
7. Cultivate and project confidence
Women often suffer from a crisis of confidence in the workplace, especially when the environment is hostile or chilly to them. Caitlin Williams, informally surveys women to whom she presents workshops, asking them "what one quality do you believe is the most important for your career success?" Confidence wins the top spot every time, Williams reports. The author, whose book provides numerous inventories and exercises for assessing and building confidence, suggests remembering past successes, believing in your ability (education and training play a big role here), knowing yourself, and seeking career encouragement (a mentor can help).
Williams also suggests creating a career portfolio as a great way to reinforce your sense of confidence.
8. Self-promote
Once you've shored up your confidence, you need to make sure others know how terrific you are. "In today's workplace," Caitlin Williams writes," one of your keys to success is your ability to let others know who you are, what you have to offer, and how you can make a difference in their organization."
Self-promotion is not easy for women. "Many women are uncomfortable with self-promotion because it flies in the face of society's message that a woman is the support person who is supposed to put other needs ahead of her own," write Binnie Shusman Kafrissen and Fran Shusman in their book, But women need to toot their own horns because they can't depend on others to do it for them.
Make sure people within and outside your workplace know about your accomplishments. Submit news of accomplishments to your company newsletter and local newspaper. Let your boss know what you're up to. One professional we know sends out a monthly email to his boss and his boss's boss to keep them updated on his progress on various projects -- and to share any accomplishments and accolades from the previous month. Promote yourself as an expert on one or more topics and volunteer to speak to local organizations.
9. Incubate your talents
If you have big dreams of career or entrepreneurial success, seek to spend some time working in organizations that will help you incubate your talents. This incubator concept is a centerpiece of Dorothy Perrin Moore's book, Moore suggests that corporate incubators can help you gain exposure to customers, suppliers, and competitors; foster specific managerial, technical and planning skills; and learn how to do things better by working in less-than-optimal environments for sub-optimal managers. By spending a few years in a corporate environment specifically cultivating skills and making contacts, you can more easily propel yourself either to greater success in your next career move or to a position where you can start your own business.
10. Become a free agent
In a 1998 joint study by Catalyst and the National Foundation for Women Business Owners, women business owners cited four major reasons for leaving the private sector: lack of flexibility (51 percent); glass ceiling (29 percent); unhappiness with work environment (28 percent), and feeling unchallenged in their jobs (22 percent).
Other studies have shown different reasons for the bailout by women. "Bucking conventional wisdom, professional growth, power, and money were the big drivers in influencing women to leave corporate jobs in the past five years -- not the glass ceiling, balance, or personal life," according to Caroline Nahas, managing director at Korn/Ferry International, which in 2001 conducted a study, "What Women Want in Business," with the Eugene M. Lang Center for Entrepreneurship at Columbia Business School and the Duran Group.
No matter what women's reasons, corporate America's loss is apparently women's gain since women-owned businesses are being created at twice the rate of all businesses.
"Companies cannot afford to lose a generation of women leaders" Nahas says. "In today's world, talent is the primary source of competitive advantage. Even with the current wave of layoffs, the generation shift from Baby Boomers to the much smaller 35- to 44-year-old age group will leave us with a drought of seasoned talent," Nahas says.
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