Should you join a networking group?

Questions to ask before committing time (and money) to an organization

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is about smart questions to ask before you
commit time or other resources to a networking group. This tip,

(00:23):
like several others this week, comes from writer and investor J.
Kelly Hoey's new book, Build Your Dream Network. Most of
us know we should put time and effort into building
our networks, but when life gets busy, this is easy
to shove to the important but not urgent pile that
doesn't get done. Consequently, people are always looking for quick

(00:44):
ways to build a network. Professional groups seem to offer
a convenient option. Rather than building connections one on one,
you can plug into a whole group of people. You
can access a group's expertise and connections whenever you need them.
All you have to do is introduce yourself on a
chatboard and voila job offers and new clients come streaming in.

(01:07):
Or at least that's the idea, because anyone who lives
in the real world will quickly realize that some groups
are far more functional and helpful than others. Sometimes this
is objectively true, and other times you just realize that
your life and career have moved to different places. As
I spend more time speaking, podcasting, and writing books, I'm

(01:29):
naturally spending less time pitching magazine articles. So groups devoted
to that will be less useful to me, even if
they're massively useful to someone whose career is more focused
on that activity. And with anything, you have to put
effort in in order to get results out or as
how he writes, as you've likely realized at this point,

(01:51):
there is no magic time saving bullet for building strong
connections other than being smarter by taking control of the
networking process and your intended outcomes. So if you find
yourself naturally joining stuff for always saying yes when people ask,
you might try asking a few questions before you commit time, money,

(02:14):
or energy to a particular networking group. Here's what always suggests. First,
ask yourself why what is it you are trying to
achieve that is your goal and why is this the
group or community to help you achieve it. Second, what's
the focus for the group social or business? Long term

(02:36):
business growth or short term projects and how does that
align with your goal? Third, check the rules of engagement.
Can you reach your goal within their system or structure. Fourth,
what's the group's track record? Does it align with the
current promise of membership and lay a strong foundation for
ongoing delivery of its commitments to members? Five? Do the

(03:01):
individual members of the group share the networking culture of
the group? Six? Do you have the slightest interest in
or passion for the group beyond seeing it as a
vehicle to achieve your goal? And finally, is there a
platform online or off where the group can convene and
share ideas. These are all smart questions to ask. If

(03:25):
multiple people independently sing the praises of the networking group
and what it's helped them achieve, that's a good sign.
If your initial research has you finding that, yes, the
professional stuff is great, and you also love that there
are meaningful volunteer opportunities organized every month, ones you'd be
excited to participate in, well that's a good sign too.

(03:47):
A robust email discussion group or Facebook group indicates that
people put energy into this enterprise. But if there is
one loan post every week or so and it's always
a request, maybe best to move on and put your
energy elsewhere because time is limited, and that's true for

(04:07):
networking groups like anything else. So ask the right questions
before you just wind up disappointed. In the meantime, this
is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making the
most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear

(04:30):
from you. You can send me your tips, your questions,
or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook
and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's B the number four,
then Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me
an email at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeart media dot

(04:50):
com that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.
Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.
Before Breakfast is a production of I Heart Radio. For
more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i heart
Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your

(05:11):
favorite shows.