"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."

~ Helen Keller

IN THIS ISSUE

Leadership Networking
Let 'Em Zip!
Rocky Mountain High

Fall 2007

The intent of this publication is to provide our clients, associates and suppliers with on-going support and fast, useful information focused on the leadership and team skills that are critical to business success. We hope you enjoy receiving Mentor and find something of value in each edition. However, the last thing we want to do is fill your inbox with unwanted information. So if you do not wish to receive this newsletter in the future simply follow the instructions at the bottom of the page and we will be happy to remove your name from our distribution list.

Clyde Dildine
Editor

Leadership Networking – It’s about Relationships

Do you think that networking is unnecessary, uncomfortable or self-serving? Or that you're too busy to network? If so, you're missing out on a powerful leadership strategy.

"Most of us need to rethink our ideas of networking and look at it from a leadership perspective," says the Center for Creative Leadership’s Curt Grayson, co-author of Leadership Networking: Connect, Collaborate, Create. "In our day-to-day leadership roles, networking is an essential and indispensable skill."

Leadership networking, according to Grayson, is about developing and using your networks in a way that builds relationships and strengthens alliances in service of the organization's work and goals. "A robust leadership network helps provide access to people, information and resources," Grayson says. "Leaders can use those connections to solve problems and create opportunities in organizations where working across boundaries or through informal channels is a large part of the job."

A network is simply a set of relationships with people, inside and outside your organization, upon whom you depend to accomplish your work. Within your existing network, you share information, collaborate and solve problems. Sometimes you pitch in or cover for each other, make referrals, endorse and support.

Through networks, leaders can become more effective by:

Deepening and broadening the communication channels between individuals and groups.
Removing roadblocks and bridging distances that separate positions, work groups, teams and business units.
Opening up new opportunities and uncovering ideas by "cross-pollinating" with other groups and individuals.
Strengthening your power base by delivering support and resources to groups and individuals in need, by accepting resources as required and by broadcasting the availability of talent and resources found in your group.
Gaining exposure across the organization by highlighting the achievements of organizational goals.

Everybody has a network, Grayson notes. "The question is, are you leading through your network or just collecting names?"

Beyond Conventional Wisdom

Aspects of conventional networking are useful, but for long-term or complex situations, a leadership view of networking is essential.

Conventional networking can be seen as...	Leadership networking should be...
Transaction based	Relationship based
One way	Two way
Investing in self first	Investing in others first
Providing contacts	Providing resources to get work done
A source of information	A forum for sharing and problem solving
Expanding address book	Building alliances
Building number of contacts	Leading to greater access and influence
Short term	Long term
Limited	In depth
Individual	Organizational

A strong and vibrant network requires a leader's investment of time and effort, but the process does not have to be overwhelming. Here are six strategies, along with specific actions, to get you started.

1. Learn from others. One way to learn is to seek advice, examples, support or instruction from others. Who networks well in your organization or in your community? What exactly do they do, and what do they say? Ask them to talk to you about their view of networking. How do they build and use relationships? Try similar tactics or approaches.

Activity: Keep a networking notebook for one week. Observe people around you in meetings, working together and in casual interactions. Who seems connected? Who seems isolated? What specifically are they doing? What clues does this activity give you as to how you should act and how you should treat others?

2. Invite others. Bring others into your world. Invite them to lunch. Find time for a 15- or 30- minute conversation to find out what is happening in their world and to tell them about what you and your group are doing. Invite others to your meetings and ask them to contribute their expertise and their perspective or to explore possible connections between their work and yours.

Activity: Arrange one invitation each week. One week you may ask a teammate to talk for 15 minutes after a meeting and ask for an opinion on another project. The next week, you could invite a peer to lunch. Keep up the once-a-week practice and soon it will be routine.

3. Ask for feedback. Seek honest answers from peers, direct reports and superiors to gain a clear picture of how you and your group function and what impact you have on others. Feedback engages others in a constructive way and adds depth to existing relationships.

Activity: Seek feedback on a regular basis, after you have set goals for developing your leadership network. Ask for specific comments about how others see you in regard to your relationships with others, how you share information, how you use your influence, and other networking skills.

4. Work with others. Volunteer for assignments or projects that give you an opportunity to work across functions. One of the best ways to build connections with others is to work together on something. A fringe benefit is the visibility you will gain with people outside your department.

Activity: Volunteer for the next assignment that involves people outside your work group. Whatever it is - a presentation to senior management, giving a plant tour, working on a cross-functional team - raise your hand and take that step forward.

5. Be an information hub. Develop and offer yourself as a source of information about people, processes and facts. Develop your ability to connect with strategic information about your organization.

Activity: Make a list of your information assets. What do you know? What information does your group hold? How might your information be useful to others? Make a plan to disseminate information appropriately and intentionally.

6. Make allies. You may be able to develop your networking skills by working with a mentor, colleague or coach. For a source of coaching or mentoring, look to others you see as successful leadership networkers.

Activity: Interview effective networkers in your organization. Capture their specific behaviors. Ask them to observe your behaviors related to networking and to offer you feedback. You could also recruit a networking ally. The two of you could practice networking and give each other feedback, support and encouragement.

Leadership networking is not about collecting business cards or schmoozing. It’s about building relationships and making alliances in service of others and in service of your organization’s work and goals. By seeing networking as an integral part of your role as a leader you create benefits for yourself, your group, and your organization.

This article is adapted from "Leadership Networking: Connect, Collaborate, Create" by Curt Grayson and David Baldwin (CCL 2007).

Let ‘Em Zip!

We are excited to announce the latest addition to our state-of-the-art high challenge course at the Rock Springs Conference Center, near Bend Oregon. Over the summer, working with Byron Bridges of Building Bridges Inc. (BBI), we have designed and constructed a spectacular 700’ zipline that adds a whole new dimension to our teambuilding programs. BBI is one of the world’s preeminent challenge course designers and builders. They incorporate the highest quality designs available and employ redundant or double safety systems, one of only a few companies worldwide that does so. BBI uses only the highest quality pre-tested construction materials and all designs are reviewed and certified by professional engineers. BBI course designs meet or exceed the rigorous standards as set forth by The Association of Challenge Course Technology, with whom they maintain a Level 4 membership (the highest available). Our zipline is one of the longest Byron has ever built, providing a thrilling ride that challenges participants to step out, overcome fear and doubt, trust, and with the support of others accomplish a feat they may have thought they could not do.

Colorado, Rocky Mountain High!

When John Denver wrote his famous song, Rocky Mountain High, he could easily have been singing the virtues of The Nature Place, our latest program facility. The Nature Place is a year-round conference facility and educational center located in the beautiful Rocky Mountains, one hour west of Colorado Springs, Colorado. It is an excellent facility for conferences, leadership and teambuilding training, vacations or reunions.

We’ve just returned from The Nature Place where we brought together international representatives from a company’s R&D, sales, and marketing functions to build their ability to work together to design and deliver new products for their customers worldwide. Working with The Nature Place staff we created a powerful, three-day experiential learning workshop that gave the newly formed team the tools needed to accomplish their mission. If you are looking for a great location for your next conference or team retreat you may need to look no further than The Nature Place.