It is not surprising that for the first time, the World Economic Forum will at Davos have all-women co-chairs. The glass ceiling is shattering at many places, and the sound of its shattering is echoing in many ears.
And yet women fear the inevitable necessity of modern professional landscapes, and that is networking. Many fear to enter what they perceive as a man’s domain. There is also an entrenched social perception against women as too forward if they take thee initiative when it comes to forming connections for work.
According to Ritu Srivastav, co-founder of health startupObino, networking should actually come naturally to women because they are more people-oriented than men. They form and maintain relationships better. Right from their daily lives, they need to connect with people, whether it’s running a household, or running a company. And women are more inclined towards harmonious relations in teams.
So, how can women regain their niche in office dynamics
Understand the dynamics
Step one is knowing which people to influence. Who has decision-making power in your organization? Who are the informal influencers? Creating a relationship map can help you sort all this out.The key is to identify the stakeholders and influencers who can help you achieve your job and career goals.
Revanthi Roy, founder of three startups, including HeyDeeDee, networked with taxi drivers because that was required of her startup about women drivers. She recognised who were the influencers in her field, and she connected with them.
Image Credit: famousparenting
Set up a support system
Whether it is your gang of friends or the mentor, we can scale our influence by adding multiple layers of support. You need to have proxies or agents at work, who fill in for you when you are unavailable. They ensure that you get the due recognition for your contribution when you are absent. Your very best agents proactively look for opportunities to help you by mentioning your name in key conversations and sharing intelligence.
Influence at work may actually come down to your skill set or ability to connect with people. Neither of them could really be a gender issue. So, embracing the right mindset with courage and conviction can help women network better and influence office dynamics.
Read Also: Networking Within Office And Pitfalls To Avoid
