Networking is an integral part of career development and advancement. What happens if you're not a "work the room" kind of person?

Lorrin Maughan sheds light on finding the balance between connecting with others and the type of networking that works for you. Extroverts, take note. This episode is equally as valuable for you to better understand the introverts in your career and how your understanding of the way they re-energize will be a win-win for everyone.

Lorrin Maughan is a personal leadership and compassionate accountability coach. Lorrin and her equine business partners, Gift and Fella, coach people to find their most authentic expression of personal leadership, and to achieve more meaningful connections with other humans and non-humans. Her mission is to support caring people as they create a more compassionate and sustainable world, starting with themselves. She is a certified practitioner of the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method™, and a certified Leading Out of Drama™ (positive conflict) workshop facilitator.

• Networking is like a garden
• We are always in "network" 
• Don't let networking take on a negative definition for you.   Think of your network as your community and you need to continue to maintain it.
• Network (n.) is Community 
• Networking (v.) is strategic cultivation of your system of connections.
• Introverts recharge by time alone.  It is not the same thing as being a quiet person or shy person.
• So networking can take more energy for an introverts because it is not their preference to be engaging with many people at one time.
• Networking is critical to your career, business, life – there is a correlation of the strength of your support network and your longevity.   Networks help us go through our opportunities.   
• Think of each person in your network as your own search engine
• There is a social proof element where you can trust the information you get from your network.
• Advice for approaching a networking event as an introvert
•     Don't feel like you need to network like other people – you don't have to go to the big event
•     Use individual information to make that connection to an individual – for example, new job announcement on LinkedIn – send that individual a quick email 
•     At those large events, you can find someone else who is looking uncomfortable and walk up and say "I am feeling out of my element here.  How are you doing?"
•     If you know someone else at the event, introduce one other person to that person you know.
•     Don't have to "work the room" and meet many people – if you speak to one person and make a connection it is a good networking event.  
•     Social media is a great tool to use – take those cues from social media and reach out and connect with individuals
•     
• Think in terms of systems – think of who you can connect to each other.  It doesn't have to be connecting to you but you can connect two other people who have a mutual interest.
• Be interested and don't worry about being interesting – invest in getting to know people and put your energy into your community.

dotcomplicated.co by Randi Zuckerberg