Effective Networking for Women

One thing is clear:  Networks matter. And they particularly matter for women. That's why a study by the National Commission on Entrepreneurship^[1] describes networks as "essential links" for entrepreneurs, because of the wide range of resources that they provide:

Networks are essential because they link entrepreneurs to potential sources of capital, new employees, strategic alliance partners, and service providers . . . Through networks, entrepreneurs share information and assessments of markets and technology as well as lessons learned from their own experience. These links are absolutely essential if a growing company is going to travel at entrepreneurial speed.

Networks are just as important for women in larger organizations, from employees to C-level executives.  Whether we're building home-based businesses or nurturing corporate careers, we need the network that can support our work and balance our lives.

Get Ahead and Get Through:  The Two Key Elements

The fact is, most employed women still bear primary responsibility for keeping home and family up and running.

I probably don't need to tell you how stressful it is to try to do the impossible, every day. That stress can take a toll. It can affect our ability to do our jobs or meet our clients' needs. It can interfere with our ability to be good parents and spouses. And, quite frankly, it can make us sick, preventing us from doing our work OR caring for our families.

What We Can Do

We need to build networks that can keep that from happening. How do you do that? In two ways.

First, if you build a good network and use it well, you can cut down the demands, reduce the conflict between work and family. Need someone to pick up your child from soccer when you're held late in a meeting? Someone in your network should be able to help. Need ideas on helping your child through a difficult time? One of your friends may have just the strategy. Need advice on building your business? Having network members who are business owners can serve as a huge resource. You get the idea. If your network is equipped to provide the right kind of help, for your work and your life, it can cut stress tremendously.

The second way your network can help is by helping you cope with the stress you can't eliminate. Tennessee Williams' character may have depended upon "the kindness of strangers," but we need the comfort of the people we know to get us through. The research is clear:  The support we get from people we know--our friends and relatives--plays a critical role in keeping us healthy.

How Women Can Build the Worlds They Need

You need a social network, then, that can give you what you need. The question is, how do you get there? And how can you possibly find time to do it?

The good news is, it doesn't have to take a lot of extra time and effort. You can get there from here:  The key is to network efficiently, not endlessly. We'll show you how to build a sector that supports your business and another that balances your life, helps you meet the needs of your business and your family, prepares you to deal with whatever crises might arise.

Want to know more? Find out about our online network assessment tool, the most sophisticated available. And check out our coaching services, backed by our credentials and informed by our decades of research.

[1] National Commission on Entrepreneurship. 2000.  "Building Companies, Building Communities:  Entrepreneurs in the New Economy," pp. 17-18; emphasis added.