building your network - breakout session @ student leadership summit 2013 aruba

Edward M. Erasmus, MA March 15, 2013

Building your Network

About me…

• Edward M. Erasmus • Degree in Business & Finance • Degree in Public Administration, Management &

Organization Sciences • Professional areas: accounting & control, public

finance, strategy, marketing, financial management, operations management, entrepreneurship and innovation, social media.

• Married, 3 daughters

About me… • Head of Operations @ Free Zone Aruba NV • Part-time lecturer @ the University of Aruba

(FEF & FAS) • Speaker and facilitator • Member of the National Council for Innovation

and Competitiveness (NCIC) since 2011 • Advocate for a sustainable Aruba • DJ, music producer, innovation freak…

How about you?...

• Name • A unique and outrageous word

to describe you

Before we start….

Roadmap for today…

• The roots of networking • Networking explained • Forms of Networks • 7 Tips for better Networking • Networking in the 21st century • Some final thoughts

• A field of computer science • In the context of online social networking

(via social media) • Complex network theories… • Etc., etc.

But to uncover the origin of networking we will have to travel way way back in time…

6,000 years B.C.

Barter… • The first evidence of network building with

the purpose to exchange goods.

Which brings us to the point of networks….

Network…

• A concrete pattern of relationships among entities in a social space.

Networking is…

• Socialization with a purpose • A process of exploration • One or more fluid conversation • A way to learn how to help others • Taking genuine interest in others • Creating genuine interest in yourself

Networking is… • Not drinks with the buddies • Not telling someone all the problems you have • Not telling everyone how much you need a

new job • Not sticking your card in somebody’s face • Not a debate • Not proving how smart you are…

Networking is about relationship building

• Building and maintaining genuinely helpful relationships with other people, for mutual benefit.

• It’s about creating a diversity of connections and win-win alliances with others through nurturing relationships based on trust.

Why Networking??

Because the alternative is sheer luck…

Why Networking?? • Everyone of us has something to offer that

someone else wants….. • Information, resources, skills, experiences,

connections, etc. • Good networking promotes mutual exchange…

Forms of networks

1. Social networks among individuals: friendship, advice-seeking, romantic connections, acquaintanceship

2. “Formal,” contractual relationships among organizations and people: strategic alliances, buyer-supplier contracts, joint ventures etc.

3. “Informal” inter-organizational relationships flow through people: director interlocks, employee mobility, social networks that cross organizational boundaries

4. Affiliations, shared memberships that suggest connections: trade associations, committee memberships, co-authorships etc.

Forms of networks

Personal networking

• Networking for personal and social reasons • Finding people with common interests • May lead to unexpectedly meaningful

connections

Strategic networking • At a strategic level, it is important to

consider how you should be networking to achieve your business and career goals.

• How can networking help you? Who should you be networking with and how can you meet those people?

• What can you do for them?

7 tips for Networking at events

1. Resist the urge to arrive late. 2. Ask easy questions. 3. Ditch the sales pitch. 4. Share your passion. 5. Smile. 6. Don’t hijack the conversation. 7. Remember to follow up.

“Communication–the human connection–is the key to personal and career success.” ~ Paul J. Meyer

Networking in the 21st Century

State of Social Media

• Since the launching of Facebook (2004) and Twitter (2006).

• Unprecedented growth in usage of social platforms.

• Not just for sharing fun stuff with friends… • Opportunities for people and businesses to

engage in creative new forms of online communication and networking

Countless array of platforms…

Not a hype…..

It’s a fundamental shift in the way we communicate.

1B

Registered Users

200,000,000 + Updates per month

130,000,000 +

microblogging tool + social networking

Registered Users

200,000,000 +

•Find contacts •Start and use groups •Create resumes •Use ‘signal’ for news/info •Link with slideshare •…and more…. LinkedIn community in Aruba is growing fast!

Contains profiles of Fortune 500 executives and leading entrepreneurs Average individual salary on LinkedIn is $115,000

Social Platforms are changing the way we

network

Social Networking is disrupting how we…

• Interact • Gather and share information • Make decisions • Collaborate, develop and create • Do business

The Facebook Effect.. 1. Driver for Democracy 2. Content Sharing and

Collective Experience 3. A Return to Neighborly

Communication

Driver for democracy

Driver for democracy

Collective experience

Return to Neighborly Communication

A global village…

Global Networking

Global Networking

Global Networking

Global Networking

Global Networking

• Networking with peers around the globe is easier than ever

• Changing the way we relate to one another • Opportunities, opportunities, opportunities…

Building Your Network

• Create a network database • Use social media to your advantage • Join service clubs • Offer to volunteer and help others • Build your own interest group(s) • Join global networks and platforms

Some final thoughts…

Network with purpose and integrity

• Know what you want • Know what you have to offer • Think ‘Win-Win’ • Never misuse your contacts • Be patient

Avoid becoming one...

Networking Zombies…

Edward M. Erasmus, MA e.erasmus@fzanv.com edward.erasmus@ua.aw

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/edwardmerasmus Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/em_erasmus LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardmerasmus Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/em_erasmus Blog: http://edwardmerasmus.wordpress.com

Questions…