Working parents are, without a doubt, among the most efficient employees in any company. They tend to be super focused on getting things done and producing results, because they need to get home, get dinner on the table, and get their kids to bed. But this hyper-efficiency can have some drawbacks. It often means that working parents don’t have the same time for networking and relationship building — think, water-cooler chat and cocktails after work — as their child-less colleagues.
Networking is vital to a successful career in almost any field. Without the time and ability to engage in networking at the same level as their non-parent peers, working parents need to get creative and develop concrete strategies for cultivating professional relationships. If you’re struggling to find the time, try systematizing your approach so that it becomes a seamless part of your routine without stealing precious hours from your day:
Make a list of the people — both within and outside of your office — with whom you need to cultivate professional relationships. This makes it easier to visualize your network and provides you with a quick “rolodex” of people to contact. Focus on a list of 25-50 of the most influential people with whom you’re actively seeking to cultivate and maintain relationships.
Create a reach out plan. Resolve to send two quick emails per day, for example, or set aside an hour block every Friday for more in-depth outreach. Then, set a manageable, realistic target for in-person, face-time interactions — E.g. two breakfasts per week or five lunches per month. Use your reach-outs to both nurture your relationships with high-value contacts and set up meetings to fill your weekly or monthly quota.
Be a good citizen (in a fraction of the time). Around the office, at work events, and business meetings, greet people with genuine kindness and interest. Ask how they are doing and wait for the answer. Know your colleagues’ birthdays and remember to send them a note. These small gestures barely take any time at all, but they go a long way in building rapport within your network.
Proactively build goodwill. When you can, ask if and in what way you might help alleviate another’s workload. By proactively offering assistance, you can plan for the extra work rather than being at the mercy of last-minute requests. You will also make it clear that you’re a team player. Next time you need Sarah to cover your inbox so that you can leave early to make it to your kid’s soccer game, she’ll be much more likely to accept, knowing that the relationship is reciprocal.
With a systematic, thoughtful approach, working parents can bring the same speed and efficiency they bring to their work to their professional development and networking opportunities. As a working parent, the strength of your professional relationships is key — not simply for advancing your career, but for allowing you the opportunity to step back when necessary to focus on the relationships that ultimately matter most to you.