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40: How to Build a Professional Network for Women Leaders · SisterSmart Leadership

0:00
(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.) Here's something that might make you feel uncomfortable.
0:02
That promotion you didn't get, it probably wasn't
0:04
decided in the boardroom.
0:05
It was decided on a golf course, at
0:07
happy hour, or in a conversation that you
0:09
were never invited to.
0:11
Research shows that 70 to 80 percent of
0:13
jobs are filled through networking, and that same
0:16
principle applies to promotions and high visibility projects.
0:20
But here's also what the data shows.
0:22
Women's professional networks are 30 percent smaller than
0:25
men's, and the gap widens at senior levels.
0:27
So today, Sarah and I are going to
0:29
share why informal networks matter so much more
0:32
for your career advancement.
0:34
And more importantly, we're going to give you
0:36
a framework for building your own powerful network.
0:38
I'm Jill Avey, a career success coach, and
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this is Sister Smart Leadership, the show that
0:44
explores how women can rise from director to
0:47
vice president and beyond by fully leaning into
0:50
their feminine energy as their biggest advantage.
0:52
Let's get you one step closer to the
0:54
recognition and promotion you deserve.
0:57
This episode explores the invisible career accelerator that
1:01
nobody talks about openly, informal networks.
1:04
So we're going to unpack the off-the
1:05
-clock connections where the real decisions get made,
1:09
why women are systemically excluded, and most importantly,
1:12
how to build influential networks on your own
1:15
terms without compromising your authenticity.
1:18
So I'm here today with our Sister Smart
1:20
Coach, Sarah, and we're going to talk about
1:23
networking strategy and relationship building for senior women
1:27
leaders.
1:27
Here's something that might make you feel uncomfortable.
1:30
That promotion you didn't get probably wasn't decided
1:32
in the boardroom.
1:33
It was decided on a golf course, at
1:35
happy hour, or in a conversation that you
1:37
were never invited to.
1:39
Research shows that 70 to 80 percent of
1:41
jobs are filled through networking, and that same
1:43
principle applies to promotions and high-visibility projects.
1:47
But here's also what the data shows.
1:50
Women's professional networks are 30 percent smaller than
1:52
men's, and the gap widens at senior levels.
1:55
So today, Sarah and I are going to
1:57
share why informal networks matter so much more
2:00
for your career advancement, and more importantly, we're
2:03
going to give you a framework for building
2:04
your own powerful network, even if the thought
2:07
of networking makes you want to hide underneath
2:09
your desk.
2:10
So I want to reference the last episode
2:13
where we talked to Dorothy, and if you
2:15
haven't listened to that, you'll want to go
2:17
back and definitely catch what she had to
2:20
say, but I'll give you the rundown.
2:22
She came to us as a senior leader
2:24
at a fortune 500 health care organization, and
2:27
she's actually also a negotiations coach herself, so
2:30
she knows how to give guidance to other
2:31
people.
2:32
But she told me that she had so
2:34
many paths that she could potentially go.
2:36
There was just so much noise in her
2:37
head that even though she knew how to
2:39
give good advice to other people, she didn't
2:41
have it in herself to give advice to
2:43
herself.
2:44
So she said she was stuck in what
2:46
she called this comfortable groove, and like she
2:48
knew how to do the job, she did
2:50
the job, and then she called it a
2:51
day, and she had invested all these years
2:54
in these good relationships, and she had this
2:58
aha moment when we were talking, when she'd
3:00
been really researching all of the roles that
3:03
she could do internally, and I said, you
3:06
know a lot of people, but who are
3:09
your top 10 people that you could call
3:10
today and say, I need a job, and
3:13
they would snap you up, and she looked
3:15
at me, and she was like, gosh, I
3:16
know 20 or 30 people.
3:17
What am I thinking?
3:18
And she then created a systematic approach for
3:22
how she could go about talking about what
3:25
she was ready for in her next step,
3:27
and so that created the right conversations internally
3:30
and externally.
3:32
Yeah, I think there's a misconception that these
3:37
networks need to be part of your best
3:42
friend group, right?
3:44
I think women will associate networking with building
3:48
very significant relationships when some of them could
3:52
be just going to coffee and checking in
3:55
with each other.
3:56
It doesn't have to be a deep connection,
4:00
so to speak, but it can take a
4:03
lot of time and effort because, you know,
4:06
many women are, you know, they're working hard
4:09
in their career and then also at home,
4:12
and so there may not be a lot
4:14
of time, and so when I've worked with
4:17
clients and we've talked about networking, it's almost
4:19
like this heavy energy about it, like, oh,
4:22
networking, like it's going to take so much
4:24
time.
4:25
I'm going to need to get out there
4:26
and go to, like, different events, you know,
4:30
and be, you know, talking with people, building
4:33
more deep relationships and friendships where these informal
4:39
networks can eventually lead to friendships, but they
4:42
don't have to be where you're spending, you
4:45
know, a lot of time, right?
4:48
And so I think just shifting your mindset
4:50
that networking is getting to know other people
4:54
and what they do and perhaps how you
4:59
could help them, they could help you, but
5:00
in a not so, like, what's the word
5:04
I'm looking for?
5:05
Time consuming, like it doesn't have to be
5:08
in such a deep fashion because I think
5:11
men, they'll, they grow up playing sports a
5:15
lot, right?
5:16
And so they're used to building networks differently,
5:20
and we just see, we see that in
5:21
the office, right?
5:23
Like women will focus on, you know, doing
5:26
a really, really great job on their projects
5:30
and waiting to be seen, whereas, you know,
5:34
men, it's they're out there, you know, maybe
5:36
going, like the title of our podcast, like
5:39
going out there and playing golf and playing
5:42
sports, and maybe they have like a little
5:44
bit more time to do that.
5:46
So it's, it's really shifting your, I think
5:50
it's shifting the mindset that networking can be
5:54
somewhat informal too, and fun and getting to
5:58
know people, like keeping it lighter than working
6:02
on building a whole new friendship network.
6:04
I think that's so important, Sarah, because women
6:07
are great at building these deep relationships with
6:09
people where they really know them.
6:12
And so we think that every relationship has
6:14
to be that way.
6:15
And yet men are so good at building
6:17
wide, broad networks of shallow relationships.
6:21
And I don't mean shallow as in insignificant,
6:24
but they're just, they're not as deep.
6:27
And like you said, they don't have to
6:28
take so much time.
6:29
And that could be really refreshing because otherwise
6:31
that heaviness that you talked about, I really
6:34
felt that in my own career.
6:36
And I feel that with my clients.
6:37
So it's such a good point.
6:41
What are some of the, like, how do
6:44
we break down like the difference between formal
6:46
networks and informal networks?
6:48
Yeah.
6:50
Well, if we take the, you know, the
6:52
metaphor, like we're talking about, like going out
6:54
there and playing sports, right?
6:57
We know that, you know, we're, we're there
7:00
for maybe practice time, right?
7:03
An hour a week or every other week,
7:06
right?
7:06
So if we think about that, and they're
7:08
there to have fun, and to get to
7:11
know, you know, people in that, not as
7:15
such on a deep level.
7:17
But I think if we, you know, look
7:19
at our schedule and go, okay, so when
7:21
can I, how can I be intentional with
7:23
having fun, meeting new people, finding what their,
7:28
what drives them and what they do and
7:31
support that they need, right?
7:33
Like talking with them, like, how much time
7:37
would you be able to allocate to, you
7:40
know, building these relationships?
7:43
Right.
7:43
And so I think that, you know, knowing
7:45
that that is part of your leadership strategy,
7:48
that should be part of, you know, weekly
7:52
goals is not just the work that you're
7:56
doing and the work with your team, but
7:57
also the work inside of that informal network.
8:01
So I think having some clarity about how
8:04
much time you can set aside for this,
8:07
and also in the conversation.
8:10
So there's setting the time to be intentional.
8:12
But when you're in conversation, being intentional, that
8:15
this is a conversation that could also be
8:18
helping me build my network.
8:20
So being really present in all the conversations.
8:25
I like what you're talking about is like
8:26
dedicating some time, like I'm going to make
8:29
time in my week for this.
8:31
It's something I'm going to block on my
8:32
calendar and commit myself to because I think
8:35
so many people think it's going to happen
8:36
in the cracks.
8:38
And, you know, these kinds of things, you're
8:40
never going to get to it if, if
8:42
it's not something that, you know, gets actually
8:44
on the calendar.
8:46
And just think if you spent one hour
8:48
a week, it doesn't have to be huge,
8:50
but what if it was one hour a
8:52
week, that would be 50 hours, 52 hours
8:54
in a year, right?
8:56
And that would be way significant compared to
8:59
none, you know?
9:00
And so you can make small efforts that
9:03
would really add up over time.
9:04
And there's also something that you're touching on
9:07
Jill about muscle memory, right?
9:11
So the muscle memory gets built through action,
9:15
right?
9:15
And if we are, this is a new
9:16
skill that women are doing, right?
9:20
More time spent doing it like an hour
9:23
a week is going to strengthen it.
9:24
So then you get to month three, and
9:26
it's going to be so much more natural
9:30
that it's just going to be more impactful
9:32
being intentional with building that informal network.
9:36
So they've got to get into that space
9:39
of, okay, I've got to go to the
9:41
gym every day and be working on building
9:43
these informal networks because you're right.
9:46
It's not found in the cracks.
9:48
It doesn't just happen.
9:49
And then they will improve their skill as
9:52
they, as they do it.
9:54
Yeah.
9:54
Yeah.
9:55
And I'm such a big fan of finding
9:58
creative ways to fit it in.
10:00
So, you know, if you're informally networking with
10:03
women, a walk is a really nice way
10:05
to get in some exercise and you're networking.
10:09
A lot of people think, oh, well, I
10:11
have to do all this in the evening.
10:13
And that can be really hard when you've
10:14
got to get dinner on the table.
10:16
And so thinking about, well, can I do
10:18
a breakfast meeting or a lunch in the
10:20
middle of the day?
10:21
And, you know, feel like this is actually
10:24
work is another thing too, is that I
10:27
think often women will assign the relationship building
10:31
and networking stuff as not work.
10:35
And so when you, when you count it
10:37
as part of your job and part of
10:40
your career progression, then all of a sudden
10:43
taking some time out in the middle of
10:45
the day, you don't feel guilty about that.
10:47
And it feels like something you should be
10:49
doing.
10:49
So that can be really hard.
10:52
Right.
10:52
Right.
10:52
And I do think this is a form
10:54
of self-care, right?
10:57
For women, you know, because it's going to
11:00
support your career growth.
11:02
And also if you need something right at
11:06
the level that you're at.
11:07
So, so this is a, this is an
11:09
act of self-care.
11:11
And I know that, you know, sometimes we'll
11:14
forget and put that on the back burner.
11:16
So, you know, I like how you're, you
11:19
know, have, you know, putting that perception in
11:21
your mind that this is part of my
11:23
job.
11:23
This is part of my weekly activities.
11:27
Yeah.
11:28
And I think I'm thinking about people like
11:31
you mentioned sports, which I think is how
11:33
a lot of men can bond together.
11:35
And sometimes, you know, I've had a lot
11:37
of clients that just aren't into sports and
11:39
that can be a real barrier for them.
11:41
And I know for me and my career,
11:42
I worked in sporting goods companies and there
11:45
was a whole group of runners and I
11:47
didn't run.
11:49
And, you know, the president of the company
11:50
and the CEO ran a bunch of VPs
11:53
ran, and I could have gotten a lot
11:55
of exposure to them by running at lunch,
11:57
but that just wasn't part of what was
11:59
going to work for me.
12:00
So I needed to find other ways to
12:02
connect with them.
12:03
And one of the things that I find
12:05
is eating is always something that we can
12:07
connect with each other.
12:08
And there's something about having a meal together
12:10
that is really helps you build your relationship.
12:14
So that's one of the places I go.
12:16
Do you have any other ideas that you'd
12:18
like to suggest?
12:19
Yeah, I, you were, you know, mentioning, you
12:24
know, different groups, I was just thinking back
12:26
to one place that I worked where people
12:29
talked a lot about football.
12:32
Right.
12:32
And so we recommended, you know, to the,
12:35
you know, our female leaders, like, just pick
12:37
a team, right, pick a team, follow that
12:40
team, be involved in the conversations that were
12:43
happening before the meetings and after the meetings.
12:47
And so that just helped increase engagement with
12:51
them, you know, across, right, because, you know,
12:54
if we look at corporations, statistically, there, there's
12:58
more men than women.
13:00
And so if we just take that statistic,
13:02
how can we get into those conversations as
13:05
well, and be seen as engaging not just
13:10
in work, but like building relationships with with
13:13
them as well.
13:14
I think that was an informal way that
13:17
we could stay connected.
13:19
I had to do that when I lived
13:20
in New England, because I was never a
13:22
big football fan.
13:23
But boy, you can't live in New England
13:25
and not like the Patriots.
13:28
And so there was all the conversation on
13:31
Mondays was about the team.
13:32
And so I learned a lot about football
13:35
and found that, you know, it's, it's fun
13:36
when you get into it.
13:37
And you know, I knew just enough to
13:39
be able to carry the conversation and be
13:41
able to understand what people were talking about.
13:43
And I'm still not a huge football fan,
13:45
even though the Seahawks just won the Super
13:47
Bowl.
13:48
But it's still something that, you know, I
13:51
can, I can have a good conversation and
13:54
I can connect with somebody and their love
13:55
of it.
13:56
And I think that's what's important.
13:57
You don't have to turn into a raving
14:00
fan, you can do it at your level,
14:02
but still be part of that conversation.
14:04
And it helps you to feel like you
14:05
belong more.
14:07
Yeah.
14:07
And another informal way could be informal.
14:11
Like you mentioned breakfast, like if there's any
14:14
like book clubs that people do, or if
14:18
you want to create one, right, so, so
14:21
we can also find something that other people
14:24
enjoy and create that and apply it to
14:27
the work.
14:27
Like I think book clubs are really great,
14:29
because there's so much that we can get
14:31
from different books that we can apply to
14:34
our work.
14:34
And that's going to help build those relationships.
14:36
And it's something informal, it doesn't take a
14:39
lot of time.
14:41
You can also help build, you know, engagement
14:44
and relationships across across the organization.
14:49
And then you're seen as somebody who's growing
14:51
and learning.
14:52
And yeah, you know, even if you have
14:54
to start the book club yourself, it's a
14:56
great, really great way to bring people together.
15:01
What can we do for remote or hybrid
15:04
work where you're not actually in the same
15:06
location with people?
15:08
I know that's a really hard one.
15:10
And even with that, with the hybrid folks
15:12
that are in the office, maybe a couple
15:15
days a week, which I'm seeing more of
15:17
than fully remote, but it's, you know, when
15:20
we start meetings, have some time to get
15:24
to know, like, what did you do this
15:25
weekend, you know, build that relationship with some
15:29
of those informalities, and it may not be
15:31
football, but what what do finding out what
15:34
what other people enjoy and what makes them
15:37
tick and like building relationship with them and
15:40
checking in and really being present in those
15:42
meetings.
15:43
So if there's something that you hear, adding
15:46
value, or adding something personal, and also talking
15:51
about the work that you're doing.
15:53
So getting up in front of maybe projects
15:55
and not waiting to report out but sharing
16:00
the impact that you're having.
16:02
So and that those are some things that
16:04
you can do through zoom to kind of
16:06
like build, build more of those relationships and
16:09
get seen and noticed.
16:11
Yeah, I think that's a great point.
16:13
I think you have to make it more
16:14
structured and more formal when you're virtual.
16:17
And you just have to build that.
16:19
And you can build it into your own
16:21
meetings.
16:22
But when it's people who are maybe above
16:25
you, or peers that you might not have
16:28
as many meetings with is you just have
16:30
to find the time and you have to
16:31
find the vehicle to be able to connect
16:33
with them.
16:34
And it does put it takes effort.
16:38
But there's that's one of the trade offs
16:40
of being, you know, remote is you save
16:43
the commute, but you have to work harder
16:45
on building the relationships.
16:46
Yeah.
16:47
Yeah.
16:48
And then if there's folks in the area,
16:49
I mean, some people who are remote, they're
16:51
in different states, or they're in different parts
16:54
of the state, right?
16:55
So are there places that you can come
16:58
together like events where you can be intentional
17:01
about meeting up with them?
17:03
Like if it's just meeting up, like you
17:05
mentioned, like coffee or breakfast, you know, and
17:09
setting that time aside?
17:12
Yeah, and then maybe maybe yeah, and tracking
17:14
it tracking it because right what what we
17:16
sometimes if we don't track it, it doesn't
17:18
get done.
17:20
So being able to track what you're doing
17:23
with your network.
17:24
One of the last points I wanted to
17:25
make about remote work is that there are
17:27
times usually in the year where you are,
17:31
you do get to go to the office
17:32
or events like you were mentioning.
17:34
And so I recommend always staying an extra
17:36
day or making sure that you're dedicating some
17:39
time to really having that interaction and that
17:43
connection with people outside of the meetings and
17:46
making sure that you're taking advantage of being
17:48
there together in person.
17:50
Because that really is your time to connect.
17:53
Yeah.
17:54
Yeah, because there's a lot that you can
17:56
learn by just having lunch with someone and
18:00
not right there.
18:01
So it's that building that social capital.
18:05
And that's so important, because it may not
18:07
be just with that individual you're having lunch
18:09
with, but you could be having lunch with
18:12
their whole network, right?
18:13
And then when they learn more about what
18:15
you want, right, it's that ripple in the
18:17
pond effect.
18:18
Right?
18:19
They can put you in contact with someone
18:21
that you may need in the future.
18:25
So much more motivating to think about I'm
18:27
not only having lunch with this person, but
18:29
their entire network.
18:30
Yeah.
18:31
And now all of a sudden, it feels
18:32
so much more important.
18:34
So how do you keep track of these
18:36
things and make sure you're actually doing it?
18:38
Well, I know there's a portion in our
18:39
course.
18:40
Yes.
18:41
That talks about it.
18:44
Right?
18:44
Like, there's a full networking unit on it.
18:51
And so it's yeah, it's really like, you
18:55
know, use using Excel.
18:58
Carving out the time to figure out who's
19:01
in your network.
19:02
Yeah, carving out the time.
19:03
And I think it would, I think it
19:05
would surprise a lot of people, if they
19:08
took the time to sit down and put
19:12
their network on to paper or on to
19:15
Excel, for example, like who is in there.
19:19
And I think that's just a fun way
19:21
to think about life in general.
19:23
Well, as a connector, but but also a
19:27
nice way to think like, you know, all
19:28
these years that you've put with an organization,
19:31
like who is internal, who is external?
19:35
Maybe who brings you joy, right?
19:37
Who, right.
19:38
So looking at your network, like how can
19:40
you stay more connected with folks, maybe you
19:44
haven't talked to in a while?
19:45
Oh, we let so we let time go
19:48
by so quickly.
19:49
And don't keep up with, you know, how
19:52
people are doing and what's going on.
19:53
And sometimes that just little quick touch base
19:55
can make a big difference in keeping that
19:57
relationship going over time.
20:00
Yeah, I have to put it put into
20:01
the, I say it's like putting fuel in
20:03
the gas tank, you know, you need you
20:05
need that tank at certain times, and you
20:07
want to be able to draw on it.
20:10
That's one of the things that I think
20:12
about a lot is how can I create
20:14
this network as a giver, rather than always
20:18
feeling like I've got something to ask from
20:20
people.
20:21
And so if you take the time to
20:23
really connect with people, when you don't need
20:25
something, then you don't feel like, you know,
20:29
you don't feel guilty or feel bad about
20:31
asking people for, for things when you do
20:33
need something like when you know, when you've
20:35
got a problem to solve, or you need
20:37
a vendor or you need a new job,
20:39
those kinds of things, you know, your network
20:41
can help you get there so much faster.
20:43
And it's really worth investing that time and
20:46
building that.
20:47
So it's like an asset for you.
20:49
Yeah.
20:50
And I think, you know, maybe if it's
20:55
not on to paper, we may forget who
20:59
is there, we may feel more isolation.
21:03
If we don't know that we gosh, we
21:06
have all of these contacts, right?
21:09
I can reach out and I like that
21:11
to reach out in a time when you
21:13
don't need anything, you just want to check
21:16
in, right?
21:16
And it could just be a short, quick
21:18
conversation.
21:20
And, you know, Hey, I'm over here, I'm
21:23
thinking about you, and I hope you're doing
21:24
well.
21:25
And if you need anything, reach out, right?
21:27
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
21:29
Just a simple text message can go a
21:31
long ways.
21:32
I love that.
21:33
So we're we've got just mapping it out
21:35
on Excel spreadsheet doesn't have to be a
21:37
fancy database or anything.
21:38
You can just the exercise of just looking
21:41
at who is in your network can be
21:43
pretty enlightening.
21:44
And then, you know, kind of developing a
21:47
cadence, you can kind of rank people for
21:49
like ABC and see how how often you
21:52
want to be meeting with them.
21:54
And then I also like to do stakeholder
21:57
mapping and get a little bit more formal
22:00
about who are the people that I really
22:01
want to develop as mentors and as sponsors
22:05
within my company to kind of pave the
22:07
way for juicy projects or that next promotion.
22:13
How do you think about the state?
22:15
How do you think about creating relationships with
22:18
stakeholders?
22:19
Sarah?
22:20
Yeah, I think that's, that's just taking that
22:22
intentionality up a notch.
22:24
Right.
22:25
So the first step, right, if you're not
22:27
if you don't even think about your network,
22:29
right, it's like getting it out onto paper,
22:32
or Excel.
22:32
And then step two, who do you want
22:34
to hone in on?
22:37
So who are the people that could put
22:39
that stone in the river that that could
22:42
help you cross or could, you know, maybe
22:45
they're, you know, in a role that you
22:48
want to be in, right?
22:50
So building that network with them.
22:52
So you can it's always good to know,
22:54
like, what, what, what does that individual really
22:56
even do?
22:57
Right?
22:58
What are their challenges?
23:00
What brings them joy in this role?
23:03
Right.
23:03
And so getting to know that so that
23:05
you could start to visualize and get ready
23:08
for that next step.
23:10
Right.
23:10
And be more intentional with, you know, the
23:13
ask when you need it, like, how do
23:16
I get there?
23:17
Right.
23:17
So building that, yeah, rebuilding those more formal,
23:22
I would call them strategic relationships.
23:25
Mm hmm.
23:26
Yeah.
23:27
I think it's important to have them internal
23:29
and external, because sometimes we don't know what's
23:32
gonna happen, right?
23:34
I know, I was sharing with you that
23:37
working with someone who has gone through multiple
23:40
iterations with new leadership, I think, three times
23:43
in one year.
23:45
And now, you know, there's that feeling of
23:49
loneliness and isolation.
23:51
And so, you know, getting back in and
23:53
like still staying connected to the external network
23:56
and stakeholders that left, but then building that
24:00
internally, as well.
24:04
That can be rough when you have invested
24:06
all this, you know, work into these relationships,
24:09
and then the that leader leaves, and now
24:11
you have to start all over again.
24:13
And some people really, you know, have the
24:15
wind taken out their sails when that happens.
24:16
But the you know, you just got to
24:18
start again.
24:20
Yeah, build a new relationship, you know, it's
24:23
like, yeah, that gym analogy is January 1.
24:28
Getting back into it.
24:31
Keeping that muscle going.
24:33
Yeah, yeah, it's not a reason to not
24:36
have those relationships.
24:38
And being strategic, you know, you get better,
24:41
like you said, it's like a muscle, and
24:42
you get better and better at it.
24:44
And I also like to recommend for people
24:47
to map out who are the senior leaders
24:50
who really care about the work that you
24:51
do, because there are more than just your
24:53
boss and your skip level boss that care,
24:56
and their work is affected by the work
24:59
that you do.
25:00
And so, you know, perhaps that's, there's always
25:04
these, these departments that are tangential to what
25:08
you do.
25:09
And you can work to build that relationship
25:13
with that leader, so that they're seeing how
25:15
you're contributing to their success.
25:17
And also, you can ask them questions about
25:20
what can you do better?
25:21
And how can you know, how do they
25:23
see things, because that will help you to
25:26
create, you know, better output that's going to
25:29
benefit them in the, in the long run.
25:31
And so the cool thing about that is
25:33
that then they're going to really care about
25:35
you.
25:36
And they're also going to understand the value
25:38
that you're bringing to the company.
25:39
So when you need somebody to speak up
25:41
for you, when you're not in the room,
25:42
then you're going to already have those fans
25:45
already built.
25:46
Yeah.
25:47
And I think in doing it that way,
25:49
you're, you're really building the relationships, right?
25:53
You're showing like, hey, I care about you,
25:56
my work affects you, and vice versa.
25:59
And so you're coming off, you're not coming
26:01
off as like, the ambitious political, I'm climbing
26:06
the ladder, right?
26:07
Because you're building a strategic relationship with them,
26:10
right?
26:11
Your work affects them, and you want to
26:14
check it.
26:14
So it's like breaking out of the silo,
26:17
right?
26:17
And really looking at that org chart.
26:20
And how can I, how do I affect
26:22
these other players?
26:24
And how can I build relationship with them?
26:27
Yeah.
26:27
And I think that's an important thing that
26:29
you just brought up about not being seen
26:32
as the, you know, the climber or the
26:34
ambitious or too political, because that can really
26:38
be a label that can be tough for
26:39
women to overcome.
26:41
And it's something that even though we can
26:43
be doing the same exact thing that men
26:45
are doing, it can come with this negative
26:48
connotation.
26:50
And so I think it's what you're talking
26:53
about here of building real relationships with people
26:56
that you care about.
26:58
It's so much more rewarding anyhow, you know,
27:01
like you're gonna want to do it if
27:03
you actually care about people, and you're gonna
27:06
want to go talk to them, and you're
27:07
gonna want to have lunch with them if
27:09
they're somebody that you value.
27:11
And yeah, so it's just a virtuous cycle.
27:14
And who doesn't want to do something that
27:16
brings them joy?
27:17
Exactly.
27:18
Right, right?
27:19
Like how can we bring more joy and
27:22
fun and connection into our work?
27:25
Yeah, absolutely.
27:25
We're talking about that.
27:27
So I think these are all really important
27:29
topics that we've been talking about.
27:31
And I hope that we've inspired you to
27:33
take some time and build your network because
27:36
it's important work to do.
27:38
And Sarah, I'm wondering if you have anything
27:40
to wrap us up of if somebody is
27:42
just has their head down, and they're working
27:44
harder and harder hoping to get noticed.
27:46
What would you say to them?
27:48
Yeah, I would say that there's a critical
27:51
ingredient to their process that's being missed.
27:57
If they're just putting their head down and
27:59
feeling, starting to feel those feelings of maybe
28:02
isolation or some resentment, and why didn't I
28:05
get promoted, right?
28:07
Start putting some time forth and building that
28:10
network, being intentional with the network, right?
28:14
You use some of the tips that we
28:15
talked about.
28:16
But I would start with getting the network,
28:19
your current network out on paper.
28:21
And then thinking about how much time do
28:25
I have during the week that, you know,
28:28
make it part of your cadence, make it
28:30
part of your list of activities.
28:33
For you, it's an act of self care.
28:36
So I think we've got to start shifting
28:37
our mindset around networking and getting in there
28:42
and know that, you know, playing differently and
28:45
have some fun this year, building that network
28:50
because there's so much power in it.
28:52
Like you said, it's, it's can be our
28:54
greatest asset.
28:56
Absolutely.
28:56
I love that.
28:57
So I always like to give our listeners
28:59
three shifts that they can do today.
29:02
So that is going to be my first
29:03
shift that Sarah just talked about is this
29:05
week, take 15 minutes to write down the
29:07
names of the people who have influence over
29:09
your career.
29:10
And then ask yourself, how strong are these
29:11
relationships?
29:13
And when did I last connect with them?
29:15
And you might be surprised at some of
29:16
the gaps.
29:17
So it's an important one to do.
29:19
I want you to do this one if
29:20
you don't do anything else.
29:22
And then your second shift is to schedule
29:23
one informal connection.
29:25
So reach out to somebody that you've been
29:27
meaning to connect with and not, not for
29:30
anything specific.
29:31
Remember we talked about just putting in the
29:32
bank, you know, just to catch up a
29:34
virtual coffee, a walking meeting, you know, just
29:37
even just a 15 minute chat.
29:39
These are things you can do virtually or
29:41
in person and start building that muscle that
29:43
Sarah talked about of the informal connection.
29:46
And shift three, identify your potential champions.
29:49
So look at the senior leaders in your
29:52
organization and think about who's promoted somebody recently.
29:55
And you know, who cares about developing people
29:57
and want.