Forbes
Why Building Community is Way Better For Your Career Than Networking
By: Paulina Guditch
Whether you want to launch a startup or land your dream job, networking is critical to your success. Although most of us realize this, we still are not networking effectively. Hint: If your idea of networking involves handing out business cards like candy and talking about yourself to anyone who will listen, you’re doing it wrong.
At brunchwork, we recently interviewed Matthew Brimer, one of the most well-connected entrepreneurs in New York City, over farm-to-table brunch and mimosas.
Brimer and Radha Agrawal started Daybreaker, the morning alcohol-free dance party, as a small experiment. They invited 300 of their friends to participate, and hosted in the basement of The Coffee Shop in Union Square. Today, Daybreaker has grown into a movement with almost 350,000 members and events in over 15 global cities.
Brimer is also the cofounder of General Assembly, a company that is reinventing education with courses in tech, design and entrepreneurship in 20 campuses worldwide. He credits much of his success to his community, and shared three strategies that you can start using today to build your own.
“The people that you have around you, both on your team and in your network, are your most valuable asset.”
1. CHANGE YOUR DEFINITION OF NETWORKING
‘Networking’ has mixed and somewhat negative connotations. The word is transactional in nature. There is an expectation that by shaking hands, pitching yourself and handing out your business card, you’ll get a job, an investment or a new client.
When done effectively, networking is all about community building, not making transactions. Your goals should be meeting interesting people and building relationships. One day, those connections may lead to greater opportunities, but that shouldn’t be your main focus when meeting someone new.
"I was able to build the General Assembly community, because I was not asking people: Do you want a GA membership? Do you want to take a class?"
It is hard to build relationships at typical networking events because most attendees have the same mindset: What can you offer me?
Brimer recommends avoiding events that have the word ‘networking’ in their description, and frequenting settings that are more activity-focused. Events like happy hours, dance classes, hackathons, city scavenger hunts, local fundraisers and sports tournaments are not related to networking at all, and that’s exactly the point.
2. DON'T BEGIN CONVERSATIONS WITH, 'WHAT DO YOU DO?'
When you meet someone new, whether it is at an event or a dinner party, one of the first and most common questions that people ask is: What do you do? Many people wear their professions on their sleeves. However, if you really want to connect with someone, avoid jumping straight into business.
"It's nice to connect with someone first as a person before diving into the professional piece."
Brimer suggests asking questions like:
● What are you most interested in?
● What do you do outside of work?
● What are you most excited about right now?
When meeting someone new, discuss recent travel experiences or trending news topics, but steer clear of work talk. This will help you establish common ground or bond over a shared activity. You can build a professional relationship later.
3. PROVIDE VALUE BY MAKING INTRODUCTIONS
Instead of thinking 'What can you offer me?', individuals should ask: 'How can I help you?' If you're just starting your career, you may think you have little to offer. However, there are many ways that you can be useful to others.
When Brimer first moved to New York City, he had a failed startup and only knew a handful of friends from Yale. There wasn’t a whole lot he could offer. However, as he went to interesting events and met different people, he would think: Who do I know in my network that might be relevant or useful to this person? Then, he’d arrange an introduction.
Making introductions is a way to add value no matter what stage you are at in your career. Before making introductions, remember to ask both parties for their permission and avoid asking for anything in return. After a while, you’ll build up goodwill.
Many people mistakenly view networking as a way to help themselves. If you’re doing it right, your focus is on how you can help others.
Eventually, when you need something, people are more likely to help you. Since they already have a positive memory associated with you, they are more willing to trust you and offer support. Plus, you establish a reputation of being a connector and a supporter of others.
