Netgiving: Take the work out of Networking
A foundational benefit of being a part of the Rotary International family is the networking opportunities that membership brings. You connect with like-minded individuals through projects, conferences, and conventions and meet interesting community members as guest speakers at the weekly meetings. As a member of Rotaract, it is likely that you are a student or young professional who is finishing their studies, beginning their career, looking for their next step, or finding ways to connect with members of a community which you are new to. Networking not only serves to benefit members' personal growth but also works to drive the success of service projects within the club. By networking and spreading the work of Rotary throughout communities we can bring in new members with diverse skills, more funding to projects, and innovative ideas for growth. It’s a known undisputed fact that networking is beneficial, however, what are the practices we can use to make more effective networking connections.
Consider the traditional style of networking that involves walking into a room filled with people you have never met before. You make your rounds with an elevator pitch, sharing who you are, why you are great, and why they should work with you. You collect a handful of business cards, add a few new connections on LinkedIn but the interaction is only surface deep. More often than not you will never interact with these individuals again. Building a network which helps you to achieve your goals begins with building meaningful connections which can be done through Netgiving instead of Networking.
Networking focuses on your own goals, how you will achieve them and what you can get from each new individual you meet. In contrast Netgiving is the concept of making connections with the focus of helping others succeed in their career, family, community, and life, even if you have nothing to gain from doing so. Through the process of Netgiving you will connect with others on a deeper level and find how you can be a resource for them, in return others will be a resource for you. You would be surprised how much more your connections will serve you when you approach the connection from the position of giving and not receiving.
The key to building relationships around Netgiving is to approach new connections in a way that will allow you to find out as much about them as possible. Keep them talking by using open-ended questions such as “Tell me your story” “What do you do for fun” “What is something you want to accomplish in the next year”. Once you get to know them help them achieve their goals any way you can. It could be as simple as sharing an article they may find interesting, inviting them to an event, connecting them to others who may also help them achieve their goals, or even bringing them to a Rotaract meeting. The practice of Netgiving intentionally makes the business of connecting personal, building relationships to help others succeed and make a difference.
