Networking is a corporate hijacking of the word “friend.” Think about how you’ve made friends. That’s what networking is. Here are five easy ways to strike up a friendship at work:
1. Be genuinely curious: Ask about their weekend or a project they’re passionate about. Showing genuine interest builds rapport quickly. Just be real about it. This guy I used to work with would always greet me with “how’s it going,” before cutting me off with “great,” and then railroading me with what he needed.
2. Share a personal story: Vulnerability creates connection. Sharing a small personal anecdote can turn a formal interaction into a friendly conversation. I often share a story about the time I got kicked out of University for low grades (effort). It’s an embarrassing thing to admit (so they tell me) but it has an up ending and let’s me pontificate on the value of failure, and how failing early and often is the fastest path to going from bad to kind of ok at something.
3. Offer help without expecting anything in return: Helping with a small task or offering advice builds trust and opens the door for future collaborations. If you’re more experienced offer to peer review, strategize, or brainstorm. if you’re less experienced ask for peer review. People love to be admired for their hard won skills and if they’re cool, they probably love to help bring others up. If they’re not into that, then they’re probably not the friend you’re looking for. Just exploit what you can from the relationship and then burn that mother to the ground. Of course I’m joking. I have a whole soapbox about this topic. Never burn a bridge. Unless it’s a 1519 Hernán Cortés type of situation.
4. Find common ground: Whether it’s a shared hobby, favorite TV show, asking about their cute shoes, or the (seemingly) engagement ring on their finger, or mutual dislike for something trivial, common interests create bonds. For example, I met one of my dearest friends through mutual hated of the company we both worked for. I’ve only worked for three, bet you can’t guess which one it was!
5. Follow Jesse 3 C’s advice: Compliment, Congratulate, and Console: Sincerely compliment their work, congratulate them on their achievements, and console them during tough times. How? It doesn’t matter. Text, call, LinkedIn, IRL, email, whatever, just make the time.If you want to hear the interview with him it’s on the [@myfirstmillionpod ***replace with correct @ for best engagement]episode from October 5th, 2023. And I’ll link it below in the comments.
Following these principles will help you build and nourish real friendships. And real friends don’t let real friends cold apply. Should you find yourself unexpectedly out of work, a strong network is your best bet for landing that next job.
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