As working moms, you’re strapped for time. Networking is often an afterthought unless you’re looking for a job or wanting to move up the next rung of the corporate ladder. Here’s the thing. Networking can help working moms with work-life balance. It’s that simple. Today we’re talking about who working moms need in their network.
Who is in your tribe?
You naturally have a tribe. These are the people who help you get closer to your goals. From a personal perspective, this includes your spouse/significant other, family, friends, and neighbors. It includes your child’s caregiver and anyone who you outsource to like a housekeeper. (If you have people in your tribe who are hindering you from completing your goals, it might be time to take another look at those relationships and level off on the amount of effort you’re putting into them.)
Professionally, your tribe includes the people who know what you do and, more importantly, your strengths. On top of the foundation layer of people you have in your network, you also have allies, mentors, and sponsors.
General network
You’ve got a professional network that starts with all sorts of people you know in a professional setting. They might be people you worked with or people you met at a conference. These could be people who know you well or online acquaintances.
Allies
The next group is your allies. This group tends to be peers who are about your same level or a level up or down. These are people who would vouch for you. They know your skills and strengths. They know what you specifically bring to the table and why you do this better than anyone else. When opportunities come up on their team or in their department, they suggest you. Or when asked about you, they sing your praises and shout out loud about how they can’t wait to work together again.
This could even be someone you worked for before, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s anyone who can and does vouch for you when opportunities arise.
Mentors
Another group, albeit much smaller, is mentors. Think of this group as your own personal board of directors. Mentors can be a guide in all things career-related or even a sounding board. Get their take on opportunities that come your way or challenges you’re facing. Ask them questions about juggling all the things. Tap into their experience to help you be better in your current and future roles.
It’s great to have more than one mentor, including a working mama who is further along in her working motherhood journey. Talk to her about what you’re struggling with. Understand what has worked for her or her colleagues at different seasons of working motherhood. Even if the advice doesn’t work for your situation, it might spark a new idea.
Sponsors
And, finally, there are sponsors. Whether you’re an employee or an entrepreneur or maybe an employee who wants to be an entrepreneur, this is a helpful role to have in your network.
Let’s face it, when it comes to advancing your career, it’s not only about doing great work. We need to have people talk about our strengths and help us take advantage of opportunities. Yes, we must advocate for promotions and lateral moves that further position us for moving up the ladder. Nothing replaces having someone senior take action on our behalf, open a door, or and make connections for us. This is different from an ally, so don’t confuse the two.
Build the right network for your needs
Finding the right people in your network can help you maximize your energy. And it helps you be more intentional with how you use your time and effort. Plus, you make sure all of your resources are moving together to help you reach your goals. A few things to consider as you build your network:
Be strategic. Find the right people for your network based on your needs. Looking for a new job? Changing industries or roles within your employer? Shifting from employee to entrepreneur? All of these change what/who you need in your network. And look for things like fit and personality.
Build these relationships over time. It’s hard to find people in your network overnight. Start having conversations now and creating these connections to take advantage of them later. Take advantage of how relationships present themselves as much as you go after meeting new people you specifically want to meet.
Find common ground. It’s helpful to find common ground with people in your network. It’s easier to deepen a relationship when there is something in common for the two of you. You’re both working moms or maybe from the same town. Perhaps you both love an author or watch a show. Yes, this will take sharing more of your personal side or even being vulnerable. It’s worth it, though. You will get a deeper connection. Active listening is really helpful in this area.
Don’t create an echo chamber. While you want to have things in common with people, don’t have everyone be almost a carbon copy. You need and want different voices in your network. It’s good to have different areas of expertise and industries represented. You want a variety of backgrounds and experiences.
Evaluate over time. Make changes over time as your needs change. That doesn’t mean removing someone from your network because your needs change. It means putting less effort into that relationship. Keep in touch, though. You never know when your paths will cross again.
Tools
If you’re a professional working mother, you likely have heard of LinkedIn. Are you using it as a tool to help you build your networking, though? Already using the tool? Are you asking for warm introductions or connecting with people you read about? Don’t want to reach out for an introduction? You can follow industry leaders.
Look at your alumni database. You already have something in common with someone who graduated from the same university or master’s program. They likely have a variety of backgrounds and industries in any given alumni database, so take advantage of your fellow ex-students.
Use your calendar. Break your bigger goals down into bite-sized to-dos for each week. Put those tasks on your calendar so you dedicate the time to get them done. Now you know who working moms need in their n network. So, now what? What’s your next move? How can I help? Struggling with networking? Download your copy of the Network Where You Are Guide to get more tips on developing your network and do it in the places you already are.
