The Networking Butterfly - Get Set Network

The latest season of Game of Thrones is here, and the character that I've constantly admired is Tyrion Lannister.

Not because he is intelligent, which he definitely is, but mainly because he has excellent people skills through which he has developed a very powerful and trustworthy network.This very network has helped him gain refuge, save his life (multiple times) and also gain trust from other powerful people.Well, this is the impact a network can create.It can make or break situations.

I got the chance of attending an event organized on International Women's Day.The one particular session that stuck with me was 'Power of Networking'.This session had a 2 minutes energizer in which we were expected to talk to a person with whom we had never interacted before.Now this was a really fascinating interaction for most of the folks in the hall, as we instantly felt, that networks matter - both in professional and personal lives. 

Many of us really dread to network, due to time constraints and sometimes because of personal preferences and mainly because networking can mean different to different people.For me networking usually means socializing on Linkedin, meeting new people at events and joining interest/meetup groups, and let me be honest, this was not easy, but the exposure it offered has definitely helped me overcome many inhibitions and made me more confident.

Organizing and attending various tech events is my personal dose of energy booster, and the organization I am working at right now, has shaped me up really well to spread this vibe across other communities as well.

In any tech meetup, you would definitely meet passionate people who would share the same love for your favorite language/tool and you would also meet few others who would deny the very existence of that love :P

You would come across different ideas, different perceptions and most importantly there would always be a little something that you had never come across before.So you can rest assured that you've learnt something new.

Network to offer

Whenever we consider meeting new people or organizing any event, we instinctively think how the collaboration will benefit us and seldom think about how we can help and contribute to the community.This thought process needs to be changed.There is a difference in between business and networking.Networking has a personal connect.

Networking is not only for extroverts

Many of us are shy and we get really awkward when we meet new people.Networking can be really challenging for us.But should we take a step back and refrain from meeting new people? Obviously not.Fortunately there is a mantra to overcome it and the mantra is practice, lots of it.Start by taking the initiative to break the ice while having first time interactions.This would release the tension and would free the mind for further conversations.

To wrap it up with a bang, imagine this...its Saturday morning, and you're lying in bed, comfortably wrapped, drifting in and out of sleep.Now, you have the opportunity to either, do nothing and do plenty of it, or make the day count, step out, and attend your nearest meetup, or better still, organize one.