It's Who You Know, 2nd Edition

One last checklist

This is one of the most important checklists in this book.

As we've discussed, the journey you've just undertaken is not a set-and-forget activity, so if you download and print out only one checklist to stick on your wall or in your diary as a reminder, let it be this one.

Your strategic network checklist

PART I: WHY

• SHIFT your mindset from disconnection to connection.

The explosion of social media that has seen a massive increase in our ‘connections' has also brought a parallel and related increase in our sense of ‘disconnection'.

Social media encourages one-way communication. Sure, we're connected, but increasingly to the digital world rather than to the real world and each other. Effective networking, on the other hand, relies on two-way communication: the mutual exchange of information and value.

The challenge is to build strategic connections around us, assembling a select group of people who open us up to quality thinking and new perspectives.

Building a more valuable network means taking back ownership and control of your network and approaching your actions and connections with strategic deliberation. You have to take ownership of your network and to reassess it continuously so it continues to evolve to meet your changing needs.

• RETHINK how you ...