But, compare me to any successful salesperson, and you see how much less extroverted I am; especially when it comes to talking about myself (or, more to the point, talking about something else, with the *goal* of talking about myself).
Now, this has not been an issue in my career -- in journalism, editorial and communications, the ability to ask good questions and listen (and *not* talk about yourself) is key. But, when it comes to job-seeking, there's no alternative. You can't be modest; and you can't be shy. And, when it comes to networking, it's even more important that you be skilled in small talk. And, for someone who doesn't like talking about himself, that's difficult.
So, I took out a book from the library: "Networking for People Who Hate Networking," thinking it would provide some nugget of information that would clear up this uncomfortability. Sure enough, they described the exact scenarios we all despise -- you've just walked into a cocktail hour and everyone is chatting; how do you get involved in the conversation?
The solution, according to the author? "Just Do It." Well, that's not the revolutionary concept I was hoping for.
Then, I started thinking -- what could make the situation less painful? And, I thought about one of my favorite TV shows, "How I Met Your Mother."
Now, obviously, a successful 'introduction' is usually done with a little more thought and build-up, but in truth, what is more powerful than a strong introduction done by a trusted source? And, I realized: I need a networking wingman.
One of my Three Laws of BusinessTM (a post I may make sometime in the future), is that nearly everything in life comes down to two questions:
- What can/will this do for me?
- How much will it cost me?
A job I had a while back used to say they'd never let an exceptional candidate leave without an offer, even if they didn't have a position for them at that moment. That mentality led to pretty strong growth for about five consecutive years (with the recession finally slamming the lid on both the growth and the practice); but it made a lot of sense. They evaluated each candidate based on those above questions -- and, if the net outcome made sense, they hired the person.
I've been fortunate, with my last two roles, to have had the opportunity to discuss what I can offer to a company in meetings with the company executives. In both cases, I was probably ahead of my time, unfortunately.
Not every company is ready for someone with my energy and ideas. Some prefer to keep things "the way they've always been done" because it's worked in the past. It remains to be seen if this is a wise choice, but I think the past five years have shown that "doing things the way they've always been done" more than likely ends badly. The world is littered with failed companies that once were quite successful that were incredibly resistant to change.
My suggestions are pretty liberal -- from an internal communications perspective, I'm a huge proponent of using social media/web 2.0 inside the enterprise, resulting in better knowledge management and employee engagement. I'm also equally adept from an external communications perspective. When I've been able to do things, the outcomes have been significant (including increasing the level of trust and morale in an organization by more than 10 percent in one year -- and that happened at each of my last two companies).
I don't say this to boast (as I mentioned above, I really don't enjoy talking about myself). I do this to explain who I am, for the purposes of my prospective networking wingman.
I'm looking for someone who's already accomplished in his/her line of work *and* who is well-connected *and* who also thinks I'm worth the effort -- and that is truly a powerful combination. Once I have that introduction; once they've already piqued the interest in someone, to get them curious as to how I can help their business excel, I can speak comfortably and confidently about my abilities.
I'm currently accepting applications for this role. :)
2 comments:
Well, Chris, first of all, I have never thought of you as an introvert since they day we met. You may say it was nerves because you were there for an interview, but you seemed very comfortable with our small talk. I think if it was nerves you pushed through it rather well. Secondly, you were one of a small group of people that Super made a spot for that they did not want to miss an opportunity go by without having you on board. Finally, I would love yo apply for the job, especially since the morale at Super is at a new low, but O am not well connected and iI am not accomplished in my work, but you are definitely worth the effort. Robin O.
Hi Robin.
I agree - at the time, Super was in that culture of "We don't want good people to walk out of here." But, I don't think many companies can do that these days -- the economy has wreaked havoc.
On the other hand, small talk in a one-on-one setting, I can semi-do (I don't love it, but I can do it). Introversion can mean shyness, but, 'technically' it's the way you recharge your batteries. A lot of conversations (with different people) will tire me out, and I need a moment to regroup. I don't get more inspired/energized that way (some do). Now, combine that introversion with modesty (which I have -- especially when it comes to talking about myself) and you can see why these attributes are less appealing in the job search.
Post a Comment