Despite several efforts, women are still way behind when it comes to networking. An experiment conducted at an IT conference proved that compared to men, women had 42% fewer new contacts, spent 48% less time talking to them, and added 25% fewer Linkedin connections. The two most popular networking barriers are search and social barriers, and it is seen that they affect men and women differently.
Here are some ways women can work on these networking barriers to get better networking outcomes.
One of the significant networking issues women face is a lack of collaboration. Most women don’t collaborate with their peers or colleagues because they have nothing to gain. Collaboration is key to creating a successful network in the modern world, as collaboration is another way to showcase better performance and build trust-based relationships with your peers.
These relationships can be quite helpful in reaching leadership positions for women in the future.
If you look at successful women leaders across the globe, you may notice that they always have a clear vision of their career goals, and they are not shy about speaking them out loud. However, when networking, most women do not tend to talk or articulate their career goals.
By articulating your goals, you could connect with more like-minded individuals who can help you reach your goals faster.
Most women consider their networks as a group of people they have a personal connection with, such as friends and family members. However, when busing your network, you need to think beyond human relations and in terms of resources.
Consider what you need for your career growth. Become a part of a
women's mentoring network where you can get the people you need for your career growth. They can be your sponsors, mentors, or business partners. Don’t stick to friends and family to form your network, but build networks with people who can be your stepping ladders.
Another way to improve your networking long-term is to have a networking structure that aligns with your career goals. Make a list of the people who are closest to you and are your strong connections. Make another list in which our list of links includes all the rest of the connections. Put these names in two different circles and look for patterns and connections between people. Knowing what’s going on in your network and who is connected to whom can help you get better networking opportunities.
Understand the strength and weaknesses of your network to utilize them at the right time.
Pretty Girls Rock is a community of strong women who come together to uplift and empower other women. We help fellow women with every aspect of their lives. Whether you want to get a new job or need help getting fit, we can help you with our various women's development programs. Join our live events and become a member to be a part of our digital network and grow with us. You can reach out to us at 832-429-7678 or fill out our online contact form to hear back from us.