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 Networking for DummiesMaking connections for the Kingdom's sake
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It's been a buzzword for two decades. Everybody talks about it. Most business people think it's important. But what, exactly, is networking? "Networking" is the practice of building relationships for mutual gain. As a marketing guy, I do this daily—even hourly. It's my job to do lunch, to work rooms, to make valuable contacts and then to use those contacts to close deals. Sound unctuous? It can be. A lot of Christians are uncomfortable with the practice, because it seems so selfish. It seems to be exclusively about advancing our own agenda. About being slick and surreptitious. Or, less pejoratively, about using the contacts we have for self-promotion. Much of networking is actually that way, as it's practiced in the world. But there's nothing inherently immoral about networking. It's a tool, like a hammer is a tool, and tools are value-neutral. They can be used for good or for evil, for building a house or for hitting someone over the head. So the question then becomes: "How can we use networking for good?" Here's how. Let's say you're walking into a party or a conference. You have a critical choice to make at the door. If you walk in thinking: "How can I serve other people, and how can I advance God's Kingdom?" then you're ready to network in a way that honors God. That is, you're in a position to establish strategic relationships that help people and organizations meet their full potential. Alternatively, if your mindset is: "How can I serve myself?" you're at risk of using people to meet your quotas or reach other pragmatic ends. Consequently, you'll probably act like every other networking aficionado out there—objectifying people, cheapening God's children, perhaps marring the cause of Christ in the process. This might sound like a subtle or even semantic distinction to you, but recognize that the implications of your attitude toward people are enormous. That attitude will ultimately determine whether others see God in and through you. Moreover, the attitude you choose may also determine your success as a networker. Sure, you can make contacts and close deals with a self-serving mindset. It happens every day. But with a servant's mindset, you build friendships—genuine, trusting relationships that blossom into new business, long-term business, and an even broader network, since people tend to refer those of empathy and integrity. What might this "servant-oriented" networking look like in operation? Let me offer you some practical tips from my years of palm-pressing and card swapping.
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