This essay was originally published on December 20, 2016 on LinkedIn.
You made it.
Pat yourself on the back for landing your (first or new) job. You’ve got a lot of learning and meeting colleagues to do.
Or, if you’re a seasoned professional with years of experience in your company, pat yourself on the back for working with your team and amassing valuable resources and knowledge.
No doubt you already know that people—your company’s individuals and teams—make your processes function. And no doubt you know the benefits of conversing with those outside your immediate circle of colleagues at work.
But do you do it?
Do you regularly connect with a new person at your organization, just to chat?
If you’re like a lot of employees, your answer might be a meek “no.”
Let’s change that.
Pull up your company’s directory, throw a metaphorical dart on a map of your colleagues’ listings, and send them a brief email asking to chat.
If this sounds simple and intuitive, it’s because it is.
We often get so wrapped up in the minutiae of everyday tasks that we forget to look at the forest for the trees. That forest is our network.
Recently, I sent out a company-wide email proliferating a wellness event, and in response received an unfamiliar email from someone within my firm, asking me for a “virtual coffee chat” since she was remote. I was surprised and intrigued. Wouldn’t you feel special, too, if another person took an interest in getting to know you not only as a coworker, but as a person?
I learned that my colleague instilled a rule for herself to “meet” one or two new people per week, and she inspired me to do the same in order to discover what others in my company are doing, learn about other projects, and, most importantly, grow my network.
Follow these four simple steps on how to accomplish precisely that. Just remember NETS:
1. NAME. Pick one! Whether it’s a junior-level staff member or the CEO, identify, under your own discretion, the person with whom you’d want to speak. Remember that coworker you keep bumping into in the hallway or kitchen? Or, if you’re remote or work with teams in other parts of the world, what about digging through your company’s employee database and selecting a name?
Tip: This person may be someone whose work you’ve admired, or someone completely at random. Your company is your network oyster.
2. EMAIL. Be brazen and take the first step in reaching out. Remember, you, and only you, are in the driver’s seat of cultivating and growing the seeds of your connections. Don’t expect others to introduce themselves, and instead take the initiative. Send them an email, like this one:
Dear __, I’ve heard about your work on X project, and would love to get to know you more. Would you like to grab a 15-minute coffee break next week?”
It really is that easy. If both of you are on-site, meet in person at either office, the cafeteria, or any other mutual space. Otherwise, agree to have a “virtual coffee break” over the phone.
3. TALK. This is your time to shine. Ask those questions that you’ve been wondering (after some dutiful research and preparation, of course) regarding project work, what gets your coworker energized about his work, or what he is looking forward to in the coming months. Share a current project of yours and what brought you to the company. Try to listen more than you speak; after all, your goal is to establish a connection and get to know your colleague.
4. SCHEDULE. If you sense that the conversation flowed well and you were able to lay foundational rapport, schedule a follow-up chat. You might propose something like:
“I’ve enjoyed hearing about your background and involvements in X! Thank you for sharing your insights, and I hope we can continue this conversation. Could we schedule a catch-up call or meeting in 4-6 weeks?”
Then, the most important step is to actually nail the date down in both your calendars.Send out a meeting invite and reminder for your subsequent coffee chat immediately after your initial conversation.
Now you might think, That’s all great in theory, but I simply don’t have the time toName, Email, Talk, and Schedule—especially to speak with one new person every week or month!
Certainly, there are occasions when we already work overtime or are absolutely, positively swamped. But think about three percent. Assuming a full 8-hour work day, without lunch breaks or staying late, three percent—those 15 minutes out of a day’s 480—is precisely the measly amount that it would take to have this chat. We have three percent to devote to growing our network and foster invaluable connections. You know you have three percent.
I challenge you to give this a try. With ample anecdotal evidence (my colleague ended up connecting me with another whose project work fascinates me), as well as a plethora of robust research (check out this article from the Harvard Business Review), you’ll only reap benefits as you cultivate your garden of connections.
Take the first step.