Lawyer Monthly Magazine - November 2019 Edition

Authentic Networking: How It Will Build A Stronger Network There is an undeniable kind of tension between the concept of networking and the concept of authenticity. This is understandable: whilst the former is ridden with the images of forced conversation-making, fake smiles and exploitative attitudes, the latter is what we all want it to be: genuine, real and representing one’s true nature and beliefs. True, networking has an image problem. And that image problem is steeped in irony. This is because the ability to network effectively is ultimately the testament to one of the most human of skills – that of emphatic communication with our interlocutor, the desire to share our knowledge and, above all else, to keep an open mind about meeting people outside our “normal” social circle. Below, Alisa Grafton shares how by changing our often negative perception of networking, we can build stronger connections with colleagues that may help push you into the next step of your legal career. As we progress through our career and life, we get comfortable with being comfortable with communicating to the same people every day – they may not be exactly the same people, but they are (more often than not) of a similar socio-economic background to us. We share similar references, speak the same language and we don’t find ourselves often too stretched in getting our message across. It is both comfortable and comforting to have a set social and professional circle. One of the reasons why networking is so unappealing to many, is that it thrusts us into the discomfort of meeting new people who we might have very little in common with. And so the strained nature of the conversation that follows – 24 WWW.LAWYER-MONTHLY.COM | NOV 2019 Special Feature By Alisa Grafton, Cheeswrights “As we progress through our career and life, we get comfortable with being comfortable with communicating to the same people every day – they may not be exactly the same people, but they are (more often than not) of a similar socio-economic background to us”