Building Bridges of Opportunity
Bridges are most effective if they are built before we need them. It is important for your career to consistently build bridges because you never know where your next great opportunity will come from.
✅ We are no longer bound by geographic limitations to broaden our networks. It is easy to take advantage of many virtual opportunities to interact with people across the globe. Last week I was on a conference call with over 3,000 people who live in locations such as India, France, England, and every state in the US. We now have so many opportunities to broaden our perspective and get to know people from around the world in an easily accessible format.
To build bridges with people you trust, you must continuously nurture your relationships. Here are 3 suggestions to begin to build bridges before you need them:
✅ Invest Time in Building Your LinkedIn Connections. Look at your current first-level connections. Then look at their connections. These are your second-level connections. You may be surprised to learn that you are not connected to many people whom you already know. Look at the profiles of your former work colleagues, members of your alumni associations, and participants in your volunteer groups. If you are not connected, reach out and invite them to connect with you.
✅ Be a Super Connector. Whenever you meet someone new, make it a habit to think about whom that person could benefit from knowing. Then introduce them. You will become known as the person who is well-connected in your sphere of influence. It will also encourage others to think of people you should know to form a mutual connection.
✅ Nurture Your Relationships. Once you increase your connections, you need to nurture them continuously by posting relevant content and making a conscious effort to reach out to them. I am always looking for content that is either inspirational, motivational, or educational to share with my contacts. Make it a goal to reach out to several connections each day. Remember to invest time building bridges before you reach out to your network to ask for referrals.
Continuously invest time in building your relationships.