Who’s Got Your Back During the Next Job Transition?
How Bob Found Himself Out of A Job
My friend Bob (not his name) recently found himself staring at unemployment. The start-up he was working for found itself no longer a start-up but a thriving, mid-sized firm listed on NASDAQ. This organization that was enjoying such success was doing so largely due to the leadership of Bob. The problem was that the company now needed a different kind of leader, a growth maintenance leader vs. a start-up leader and that isn’t Bob’s forte. So, he started looking around at who he knew in the industry and realized that it was tough calling on people who could help him find a new venture when he hadn’t had any reason to talk to them for, oh, about 3 years. And now, when he finally calls them, it’s to ask for a favor. Hmmmm.
The Executive Dilemma
The hard reality is that unlike Bob, few executives get to be in control of job transitions. Usually market or ownership changes force executives to seek a new position on a 2-3 year cycle. Even if they stay in the same organization (characteristic of large multi-nationals) their job is significantly changed, often with a geographic move.
Now here‘s the diamond point, the same network of people that could help you get the next job are often the people that can help you succeed in this one. You just need to think outside the current organization and internally focused issues.
Realistically, executives know they are best suited for a stage in an organization’s growth and then they should move on before they fail or burn out. But how many of us actually consider this reality and put the plans and actions in place to ensure that when we (or the organization) decide it’s time to move on we have the connections to help us find the next opportunity?
Your future career is only as good as the quality of your extended network. And, the time to build these contacts is not when you are looking for the next position.
When you think about increasing your external marketability, ask yourself: With whom do I really want to build relationships over the next three years and where might I gain access to those relationships?
Do you have a list of the key people you would like to have in your career network? Have you written down why each of these individuals is important to you? How many quality contacts have you had with these people in the last 90 days?
Here’s the next diamond point, if you choose your network members wisely they can nourish more than your current position and future career. Most people accept the fact that health studies show the connection between long-term life, health and happiness is based on the quality of the relationships which support us. Few of us think of this as an investment we make for our future… but it is an investment just like education or exercise. Think about most of your social interactions, are they planned or happenstance because it’s convenient?
The Solution
Value Based Networking™ is about creating value for others to receive value from them. It’s about taking charge of this critical advantage in life in a planned and strategic manner. Regardless of where you are in your career or life, if you are looking to make your future bigger than your past you need to invest in the people who have helped you achieve your current success and those who can do so in the future. And, the time to make those investments is now; not when you “need” them.
What do we mean by “value based”? Most of us are uncomfortable “investing” in people for the sole purpose of accessing their knowledge and connections. We want to bring value to the relationship perhaps in the form of our own knowledge and connections or unique skill or interest. It’s a case of mutual value for mutual benefit.
Over the next three years, what specific initiatives would most improve the quantity and the quality of your external relationships?
Three Things to Do Next
1. Comment: What Networking advice helped you during a job transition?
2. Reconnect: Think about someone who is of value to your success, but you have not made recent contact with. Do something to WOW them.
3. Check out Value Based Networking: We have a networking program, highly regarded by Fortune 500 companies to improve their employees networking skills.
image courtesy of benedictfrancis
