Spring into Networking: Five Events in Five Days

It’s spring, and if you are like me your calendar is filled with networking events. Just last week, I attended five events in five days including, the Business Expo, the Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce Gala, a women in business award’s luncheon, one retirement celebration and a going away party for a senor executive. It was a busy week, and yes, there were moments (more than one) I thought I’d opt out or skip the next event. However, after each event, I was reminded what a valuable business tool networking is and always will be. 

Relationships are what drive business and strong external networks make a difference. Networking requires an investment of your time – time to cultivate strategic relationships that support business success and community contribution. And each of these events uniquely contributed differently to nurturing and expanding my network. 

The week began with an intimate going away party for a senior executive who is moving to the West Coast to head up Global Manufacturing at her corporate headquarters. I was honored to be included in this gathering hosted at her colleague’s home and only attended by a small circle of executives. It is in these settings that people are relaxed and you can get to know them better as well as connect on a more personal level. The key to networking at these types of gatherings is to strike the “right” balance of networking and simply enjoying the opportunity to engage in authentic conversations.

Business cards in hand, it was off to the Business Expo the next afternoon. To connect with others you need to put yourself out there and conferences and expos offer the chance to connect with vendors, business partners and associates. There is always a spirit of networking in the air and people are there to meet, refer and connect about business. In this environment, it is easy to approach people and introduce yourself. In many cases, I am able to put faces behind emails, businesses, services and products all while continuing to expand your circle of contacts. 

The foundation of networking is engaging in relationships that are mutually beneficial. Making time to celebrate and support the successes of people in your network is also very important. And, as part of my weeklong networking activities, I attended an awards luncheon that recognized women for their achievements in business. The value we can offer our networks can be tangle and intangible. Showing appreciation, expressing gratitude, and recognizing accomplishment goes a long way to nurturing and extending intangible value and support to your network.

That evening the Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce hosted their annual Gala. It was a lively networking reception (and I do mean lively- Mariachi band and more) that connected me with the important and growing Latino business community. I was introduced to several new business contacts, including the host of a Sunday morning show on PBS, who in turn, asked me to be his guest on his show to promote my company’s upcoming women in business conference. 

Dinner and awards followed the reception.  One of the award recipients was the senior vice president of human resources of a company I am currently engaged in early conversations with about Leading Women. While I did not connect with him that evening, I was formally introduced to him at the retirement party I attended two nights later. I referenced his acceptance speech and after a few laughs about tattoos and Harley Davidsons (long story,) we talked about his company’s diversity initiatives and my upcoming meeting with his department head. 

If you ever wondered if networking really matters, just start with the end in mind. The retirement party I attended honored a woman who spent 30+ years in leadership as the vice president of diversity for a major health care organization. I not only admire her as a leader and for her work as a champion in the community for diversity, but also admire her commitment and foresight to networking. She recognized early on in her career the value networking. The quality and depth of the relationships she built over the years made a difference in her career within the business community – especially as it related to her work in the area of diversity. The room was not only filled with “movers and the shakers” but with family and colleagues whose lives and careers she had influenced and touched over the years. Throughout her career, her network flowed with opportunities, connections and support. She understood that networking was not a series of random activities and business associations but rather as way to give and get support.  We forge on our paths in life, in our careers and in business and relationships matter. Conversations matter. Visibility matters. Supporting others matters. Remember that life is about making connections and building trusted relationships.  You can’t do it all yourself and nor would you want to! 

Lead On!

Lisa Bergeron, President, Leading Women SENE/CT