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NETWORKING
Good people to know Industry executives share advice on the types of contacts A/E/P and environmental leaders should have in their networks.
By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent
TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE NETWORKING Whether you like it or not, networking is part of being a strong business leader. BusinessKnowHow.com offers some advice for making your business networking as effective as possible. Here are 10 tips to get you started: Remember that networking is about being genuine and authentic, building trust and relationships, and seeing how you can help others. Determine your goals for networking and pick groups that will help you reach those goals. Some groups focus more on learning, making contacts, and/or volunteering; others are strictly for making business connections. Visit all the groups that spark your interest. Notice the tone and attitude of the group. Do the people sound supportive of one another? Does the leadership appear competent? Many groups will allow you to visit two times before joining. Volunteer. This is a great way to stay visible and give back to groups that have helped you. Ask open-ended questions in networking conversations. Questions that can’t be answered with a simple yes or no opens up the discussion and shows others that you are interested. Become known as a resource for others. When you are known as a strong resource, people remember to turn to you for suggestions, ideas, names of other people, etc. This keeps you visible to them. To get referrals, you must have a clear understanding of what you do and why, for whom, and what makes your doing it special or different from others doing the same thing. Be able to articulate what you are looking for and how others can help you. Follow-up quickly and efficiently on referrals you are given. When people give you referrals, your actions are a reflection on them. Respect and honor that, and your referrals will grow. Call those you meet who might benefit from what you do and vice versa. Express that you enjoyed meeting them and ask if you could get together and share ideas.
E veryone needs a support group to turn to when times get tough: Who should A/E/P and environmental lead- ers include in their professional networks? Which re- lationships do you value most? Who do you call to toss around an idea and who do you hold close to your vest? Mentors? Colleagues? Competitors? “I have people (in my network) I know dating back to grade school, who are involved either in the industry or the community.” MIX IT UP. Peter Moore, president of Chen Moore and Asso- ciates (Fort Lauderdale, FL) – a 43-person civil engineer- ing, environmental engineering, planning, landscape ar- chitecture, GIS, and construction observation service firm – says that he has a large and varied professional network. “It starts with the fact that I still live in the same city in which I was born; I like the weather,” he says. “Because of that, I have people I know dating back to grade school, who are involved either in the industry or the communi- ty.” Going through leadership training in various engineer- ing organizations, such as ASCE and NSPE, has also given Moore a solid contact-list of competitors and clients. Be- ing involved in leadership and community organizations has also led to new clients and relationships with commu- nity leaders. “Here’s a great example,” he says. “I recently hosted an event for a milestone birthday at a happy hour at a local restaurant. At one point, I looked over to see a conversa- tion between a local lobbyist I’m friends with and a high school friend who is active in the community. Knowing people at all levels and from multiple points in life defi- nitely gives my network a leg-up on others when it comes to wide access.” LOOK OUTSIDE THE INDUSTRY. Craig Stauffer, president of PCS Structural Solutions (Seattle, WA), a 40-person structur- al engineering firm, says that it’s important to understand the viewpoints of clients, colleagues, and competitors be- cause they each have different perspectives on the same
See GOOD PEOPLE, page 8
THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 28, 2015, ISSUE 1121
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