Then stop networking and begin to share knowledge.
Effective corporate leaders recognize that there is an 'invisible' structure of personal and business networks within their company that define the true influences and interdependencies -- and they know how to access and leverage those resources.
Effective corporate leaders are strategic in the way they share knowledge. They use their knowledge to earn trust and build their reputation within the company.
Effective corporate leaders know that since competition is a matter of relations, the ability to structure and influence the informal, as well as formal power networks determines marketplace success.
To illustrate the importance of knowledge to a company, think back in time to remember the disruption that occurred when a key person left the company without sharing his understanding of how to get things done.
Effective corporate leaders know that unshared knowledge loses value. Yet, how knowledge is shared is crucial in determining whether it serves to enhance the reputation of the person sharing it or not.
Success is not an individual matter--it depends upon our relationships with others. Connection and coordination with others matter. The manner in which the professional connects with others matters. Increasing one's social capital is all knowing how to share knowledge so it not only adds value to the organization but also to your recognized worth within it.
While all industries are knowledge-based today, personal knowledge and social capital capabilities are critical to professional service firms (such as consulting, investment banking and law) and research-driven firms that depend upon the capabilities of knowledge workers, both individually and working together.
The professional knowledge worker needs to look at him or herself as the hub of his personal and business networks. How he or she connects to a community of networks will determine if s/he obtains the resources when s/he needs them. By making the 'invisible structure of personal and business relationships visible, s/he will work more effectively through increasing one's personal bandwidth.
Since personal development leads business development, understanding and practicing social capital building methods should be an important element in a company's business development strategy. Professionals need to make skills of influence and collaboration part of their everyday tool kit.
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