Do internationals sometimes misunderstand networking?
Recently, a woman told me she had turned down her husband’s boss’s invitation to come down to the office for a coffee, because “he can’t give me a job.”
Her idea of networking was to talk only to people who might hire her. Unsurprisingly, when she tried this approach with Danes in her field, they clammed up. ⛔️
That's because the subtle interconnectedness among Danes is a safety net of reciprocal care and trust. Networking is about spinning the fine connections between you and other people. Connections are built as a web of mutual goodwill, through small, repeated interactions: a smile, a chat on the sidelines of football, a few words in the choir break.
And when people begin to return small acts of kindness and care, among those small acts may be an offer to call a friend who is looking for an employee. I have seen it happen.
Your network is much more than your LinkedIn connections or the folks down at the awkward networking event.
Networking is not about working your network. It's about caring for people. As George Kao says: maybe we should call it 'netcaring'.
--------
Photo by Omar Flores on Unsplash.