>”When do top networkers work?”
I don’t regard my self as a “very good networker”; some will argue with me that I’m better at it than they are. BUT I don’t regard that as an appraisal; just an urging to try harder. Some of my concepts are: differentiating “networks” by objective, measuring “days outstanding” by group, and “build it; they will come”. Those make me look more like a “very good networker” than the shy fellow I really am.
So, I can say that this mediocre networker works every chance he gets. I try to multitask, innovate, and use “power” whenever I can.
Part of the realization that I came to after I was fired for the first time, (Quite a shock to a kid who grew up with the concept of lifetime employment in a big company. Where only drunks, thieves, and philanderers were fired! So what was I? Just unlucky.), was that my most important “job” was finding my “next job”. If you adopt the “me, myself, and I incorporated” mentality, then networking is “working”. Finding the next job is the highest priority. Sorry to say that, even if you sacrifice the oft-cited kid’s softball game, dance recital, skool play, even if you give it “all” to mother company for that paycheck, even if you bleed company ink, it ain’t gonna matter when the layoff notices come.
You have to realize the cold hard facts.
=> You have to generate value to keep retaining value (You deserve a “pay check” today. Do You?). [[I think that was the ‘work” you were asking about!]]
=> You have to keep your head screwed on straight as to what is your long term value generation strategy (Where do I retain value tomorrow?).
=> You have to think about how you retain some of that value for yourself (No margin; no mission).
=> You have to think about WHERE you’ll find that situation that allows you to retain it (How will I sell myself?) going forward.
=> You have to ANTICIPATE what will change (Silent traumatic violent changes will upset your nice plans?) in the future.
IMHO “working” on one thing must be integrated, mutiltasked, folded into the overall activities of the day.
When someone is “networking”, then IMHO they are “working” on facets #2, #3, #4, and #5!
All I can say is that goodness for long boring mandatory attendance conference calls that give considerable time for introspection.
From my point of view, as a big fat old turkey,
Fjohn
Reinke Faces Life 