Consult a Coach: How do I build and maintain a network while working from home?
Welcome to Consult a Coach, our regular careers clinic for Bazaar readers. Send us your work dilemma, and we’ll ask our career agony aunt – the industry professional, executive coach and motivational speaker Jo Glynn-Smith – to answer it.
Here, Jo advises a reader who recently moved to a remote-working role and is finding it hard to build and maintain their network.
Explore the Consult a Coach archive, full of careers-based advice. Got a question you'd like answered? Email us at consultacoach@harpersbazaar.co.uk
Dear Jo,
I’ve been working for about 15 years and have a few jobs under my belt now – but I recently moved to a full-time remote-working role for the first time. I feel as though I have some good contacts, but since starting this new position I haven’t really had a chance to see many people or attend events as much as I used to.
I know it would be so good for me to get back out there again. How do I build back my network and learn to use it in a more meaningful way?
Thanks,
Mollie, 36
Jo says...
Dear Mollie,
It’s great to connect with you, and thank you for your question – it’s a really good one since most of us consider networking something that’s perhaps a little out of reach these days. But I’m here to tell you that it’s definitely not gone anywhere, it’s just different, and therefore requires a different approach.
Like with all things, when change occurs, we need to adapt. We can see this happening in nature as much as we can see it in businesses that have stood the test of time. Adaptation is key to success; it’s a muscle we must learn to use if we are to stay at the top of our game in an ever-evolving world.
As you’ve rightly identified, networking is really important; it’s how we build relationships, exchange information and, in many cases, advance our careers. But, more importantly, since many of us don’t work among a community every day, it provides us with vital connection to a human support system, which is essential for our mental health and happiness.
So where to begin if you’re a bit out of practice?
The easiest way to start is by re-engaging with the network you already have. Make a list of 5 to 10 of your better contacts – people who you could confidently reach out to right now. Try to think beyond the safety of your friendship group. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t spoken to these people for a while, this exercise is about re-connecting, catching up and throwing your net wider. Once you’re happy with your list, reach out to each of them using whichever channel is appropriate for that particular person: direct messages, email and Linked In are all good ways to communicate. I get a lot of messages via Instagram, even for business enquiries, so things have definitely become more casual in that respect.
People love being noticed, so I usually start a new conversation by sending a message of congratulations, a positive comment about a work or life achievement, perhaps even an offer of support or my expertise if it feels appropriate. The key here is to keep it relaxed and friendly, make it easy for them to reply, and be humble. People tend not to respond well if they think you're only reaching out because you want something – particularly if it's been a while – so be generous in your communication and make it about them. If you get a positive response, you can follow it up by suggesting a catch up; I always start with something simple like a chat on the phone, which doesn’t feel too hard for most people to commit to and can be arranged quite quickly.
Finally, you don’t need to be besties with your contacts, or see them weekly; meaningful relationships are built on shared experiences over time. So be intentional, authentic, supportive, caring and generous, and in return they’ll be there for you as and when you need them.
Good luck!
Jo Glynn-Smith is a transformation coach, speaker and personal-brand expert from London who works with leaders, entrepreneurs and businesses to help maximise their team or individual potential. Before becoming a coach, she spent most of her career in the fashion industry working at the highest level with some of the biggest global brands. You can follow Jo for more coaching tips and advice on Instagram (@jojoglynnsmith) or visit her website, joglynnsmith.com.
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