Remaining Competitive Requires Resetting Your Network

Remaining competitive in this fast-paced digital world may require new approaches and ways of thinking. If you want your business to remain competitive, resetting your online network is a must. This may seem intuitive, but when we are working in the business rather than on the business, we can easily forget this planning process and the people principles involved.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Does Your Online Network Have the Right People?

Many of you may not know this, but I spent 8 years in Army Recruiting. Eight loooonnnngggg years, and I likely became the best recruiting officer in the Army. Based on that extensive experience, I learned several things about people, organizations, expansion, and resetting a network.

1. People first gravitate to people, not organizations. Have you ever joined something because you knew someone or several people who were part of it? No matter what the organization is, its exclusivity, your qualifications, or its organizational status, most people join organizations because they know a person or people in the organization. People join people first, then they join organizations. Do you have the right relationships necessary to attract good people to join you?

2. The quality of organizations is defined by their people. During what I thought was the end of my tenure as a recruiting CEO, people were fighting to join my organization. Why? Because of the recruiters’ success rate. Success was measured not only by achieving the monthly mission quota but also by selections for promotion and the acquisition of the best leaders. We had the highest promotion rates for all ranks in the Army Recruiting conglomerate. What are you doing to help your people be successful?

3. People move on. Transition is a part of life: as people retire, change positions, or switch industries, your network changes, whether you know it or not. To expand and, in some cases, maintain the status quo, you will need to make new connections to replace those who have transitioned. Do you know the true status of your network? Is it time to reset your online network?

The Role of Success and Persistence in Expanding Your Networks

A. Successful people and organizations have successful networks. Feedback is essential, and when I interviewed my most successful recruiters, I discovered that they had extensive, relevant online networks. Although the recruiters constantly prospected for new applicants, they also cultivated their networks to work for them by providing referrals. I adopted a networking philosophy at both the operational and strategic levels to develop centers of influence (COIs) that were our competitive advantages in various areas. How extensive are your individual and organizational networks? Are leaders resetting their networks to remain fresh, competitive, and successful?

B. Resetting Online Networks Requires Diligence. Because of my introverted nature, I was never a fan of networking, but I know full well its necessity. As your network expands, a bigger net requires more work. Much more work. A tremendous amount of work. Why? Because you are likely entering new and/or unfamiliar areas to meet organizational goals. This is when persistence counts the most.  Are you willing to work harder to expand your network? How much harder?

Is the Work to Reset Your Online Network Worth It?

Resetting networks means more work: Is it worth it? For me, the answer is a resounding YES! I needed to expand my knowledge of book publishing and promotion to improve sales, which meant resetting my network in those categories. This requires more mental and physical effort. Inspired, Not Retired does not just sell itself. In addition to just asking people to buy my book, my network expanded through meeting new authors as classmates, joining new groups, connecting with additional book distributors, vendors, stores, and social media. This led to new readers and an expanded network.

My knowledge has expanded to include book categorization, market sales analysis, and book promotion alignment. Most of this knowledge came from resetting my networks. Researching, reading, and studying are great, but there is nothing like having subject-matter experts (SMEs) in your network.

So, who’s in your network? Is your network working for you? How are you using your network? Is your network due for a reset?