Successful Networking for Women

We're looking for some way to get it all done--the work, the errands, the kids' activities, the endless e-mail. One of the biggest assets we have, our greatest "edge" for women in business, comes from successful networking. Successful networking gives us the social capital--connections to others and the resources those connections provide--that help us deal with it all.

But to get there, we have to recognize what successful networking for women means.

What is Successful Networking for Women?

Very simply, successful networking for women means building a social network that does dual duty. Business women need to build and use social networks that provide not one, but two kinds of help.

The first is what we all think of first when we hear the term successful networking for women--referrals, sales leads, information about jobs or clients. We need that kind of successful networking to get ahead in our businesses or careers.

But the second aspect of successful networking for women is just as critical--maybe even moreso. This kind of successful networking means building the connections that can get you through a serious illness, help you cope with divorce, or just pick the kids up from soccer if you're held late in a meeting. This kind of successful networking for women helps us balance our lives--and also adds meaning to them.

Successful networking for women means building, maintaining, and using both kinds of contacts, both kinds of ties.

At its core, then, successful networking for women requires balance. You must build a social network provides both types of social capital--it's just as critical as balancing your financial portfolio. Just as that portfolio needs to see you through the long haul, over changing market conditions, successful networking for women means having the resources get through whatever life throws at you, in your career and in your personal life.

What Happens When We Don't Learn Successful Networking for Women

Unfortunately, too few women are following this model of successful networking.

A recent national survey showed that Americans have few close social ties, fewer than they had 20 years ago. That led many people to sound an alarm about Americans' networks, because those close ties serve as a vital source of social support.

That social support not only helps us balance work and family, it can make us happier, healthier, and even extend our lives. Research shows that, if two people face similar levels of stress, the person with greater social support is less likely to become sick. That's particularly important for women, who face so many different demands--and who absolutely have to stay "up and running."

It's clear:  We need a new model of successful networking for women. We need to build the social networks that will support our work and our lives. And we need to learn how to use those networks effectively.

The New Model of Successful Networking for Women

We have the new model of successful networking for women. We know what kinds of contacts you need, and we know where and how to build them.

And building those contacts doesn't necessarily mean adding more time into an already overburdened schedule:  You get opportunities to recreate your social network every day, everywhere you go. We can show you how to use opportunities in your everyday life to network, while you're picking up kids from soccer, meeting with a client, waiting for your children at daycare.

And there's another key element to this new model of succesful networking for women:   learning that using ties does not mean using people. Exchanging help, advice, and favors with other people doesn't diminish ties, it strengthens them. We can show you how to learn the skills for geting the help you need and strengthening your social network in the process.

Learn the New Model of Successful Networking for Women

How do you get there? It starts with scientific assessment of your network. We've developed a cutting-edge, scientific tool--unlike anything else on the market--to show you where your network is strong and where it needs work, analyzing both the "business side" and the "personal side" of your network.

The information from the assessment provides the foundation for your action plan to build your optimal network.

We can help you target the best strategies for building adding the kinds of ties you need, on either the business or the personal side, using our model for building a network that LASTs:   We focus on the Locations, Attitudes, Strategies, Skills, and Trajectory to take you there. That's an integral part of our network coaching.

We also offer courses and seminars that detail the problems women often face in building business networks and show how they can solve those problems.

How We Can Help

If you're looking for ways to build the network that will take you to the top and let you survive the ride, come see what we have to offer. We're PhD sociologists with over 60 years of combined experience.

We have been featured or quoted in such media outlets as The Wall Street Journal, CNN, The New York Times, Health Magazine, US News and World Report, and The Christian Science Monitor. We have upcoming coverage in Health, Redbook, and Woman's Day. To learn more about our press coverage, click here.

And, if you want to help a friend build the network that will help her get ahead and get through, consider a gift certificate that she can use for network assessment or coaching. (Think of it as giving the gift of sanity!)