NetworkingAchieving higher performance with others

Russell KorteIllinois Foundry for Innovation in Engineering EducationUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

korte@illinois.edu www.ifoundry.illinois.edu

©iFoundry 2010

Networking

1. Examples of the need to build networks.2. Why networks are important.3. How to build high-quality networks.

Getting a mentor

• [I asked him], Who do I talk to? Then he’d kind of be like—OK, I think it’s this person. And then he’ll just look up the name for me real quick and he’ll let me know.

• [My coworkers are] approachable, but you kind of get the feeling like—don’t bother me. You can go ask them questions and stuff like that, but then their cell phone rings or something comes up. So you kind of, there’s this feeling of—ask questions, but don’t take too much of my time.

Obtaining membership

• I felt part of the group within two months. . . . Going to lunch with them, talking to them about nonwork stuff. The other new hires, like, we’ll go out to the movies during the weekends. A lot of interaction.

• Of the companies I’ve worked at, [this one] is really not very quick to accept new people in that there is the [company] lifer mentality, that if you didn’t come here at the beginning of college and [were not] raised in [the company] perspective and way of life, then why should we trust you?

Getting known

• People say it’s who you know. I said—“Well, it’s not really who you know. The question is—who knows you?

• First of all, being at [company], everybody wants to get to the eighth level. They want that, and of course they say the eighth level is one of the most difficult levels to get to, unless you know someone.

• The projects I get are a big indication to me that, you know, my boss trusts me with some very highly visible things where I’m meeting with people very high up in our company

Why networks are important

• Knowledge networks are high-speed infrastructures for sharing knowledge and overcoming knowledge deficits.

• Networks tap into interdisciplinary resources.

• Networks help manage an overload of information

• Networks leverage your expertise.

Leverage your expertise

• Two can create far more than one person.

• Networking is developing a community with the resources to accomplish higher results.

• Networks can have dramatic effects on the quality, quantity, and speed of your output (primary driver is to leverage your knowledge base)

Enhanced knowledge base for all

• How much do you know, and how much more does a network know?

• Networks as a search engine—a source to find necessary information.

• Know what you don’t know and who knows it. (a distributed knowledge system)

Individuals vs. networks

• Traditional education, social training, and work have fostered self reliance.

• Need to build, maintain, and operate with a group of experts.

• Networks are built on two-way relationships.

High-quality networks

The quality of the relationships affects:• The quality of learning• The quality of performance• Job satisfaction and commitment

The quality of your network can make or break your career.

Model of relationships

Inclusionacceptance, membership, integration, significance

Affectionliking, emotional reactions

Controlpower distribution, dominance, submission

Relationship quality measures

• Responsibility• Trust• Respect• Mutual obligation• Frequency of interaction• Level of support• Knowing more than the job tasks

Building your network

• What can I offer of value?

• What is the fastest route to get the information?

• Who are the people with whom to connect?

• Focus on quality, not quantity.

Starting a new job (new network).

• And so you’ll learn that you’ve really got to network and really learn people around here and really, really get to know them on a personal level and earn their respect. And respect them.

• I think the biggest thing is to develop a good relationship with your coworkers . . . Be understanding that it’s not their job to help you along.

Be proactive

• Be aware of and monitor your networks.

• What is the pattern of your interactions?

• The creation and utilization of knowledge depends on the structure of relationships and values of the group.

Eight factors affecting network quality

1. Your mental model.2. Weed and seed.3. Develop relationships early.4. Follow etiquette.5. Do your homework.6. Credit lavishly.7. Benefits of newness.8. Networking citizenship.

Kelley, R. E. (1998). How to be a star at work. New York: Three Rivers Press.