Networking and mentoring: invaluable professional tools
by Lee Davis
Networking is one of the most valuable tools we can have at our disposal for moving forward in our profession. We all do it to some degree in our personal lives. We network with our fellow workers and bosses to be able to complete our jobs, we network with neighbors for information, we network with our family for the "scoop". But networking professionally takes us into another realm.
Joining a professional association is one of the best ways to derive the benefits of networking. But it takes a little more than filling out a membership form and paying dues. You must participate to derive the greatest benefit. Once you have your name on the membership roster, get involved. I recall my very first "job" with the local paralegal association to which I belonged. I was a door greeter. It was my job to make everyone feel welcome as they came into the meeting. I did not realize that I was actually networking-meeting people-getting to know my fellow paralegals. A few years later I was president of the association. That may not be your goal, but it does point out how networking can help you expand your professional activities.
Simply stated, networking is just a form of communication. However, the results of that communication can have an overwhelming and positive impact upon our profession in a variety of ways. Certainly, technology has produced the greatest change in communication and the ability to network. Prior to the Internet and e-mail, the mode of networking was mostly verbal or written (hard copy) and the rate of exchange was limited to when and with whom we may be communicating directly. Additionally, the realm of inquiry may have had geographic limitations. Today, access to information and the rate of exchange of that information is not only instantaneous, but can also be extended to many others both within and outside specific geographic areas with just a simple click of a button.
Although networking through the computer has become a way of life for many of us, please do not underestimate the power of personal face-to-face encounters. The ability to converse has been the number-one answer when successful people are asked what one skill contributed to their success. Recently, I read an interesting article on communication by Susan RoAne. She stated that Dr. Nathan Keyfitz, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Harvard, came to the conclusion in the late 1980s that in the year 2000 most people would be technically adept, but those who succeed would be the "people who can talk to people." I call this "networking at its best."
Some tips for enhancing your networking skills:
Get involved-join a local and/or national paralegal association.
Introduce yourself to officers, directors and other members.
Volunteer for a committee or run for an office.
Join a professional list serve.
Attend special events.
Write articles for newsletters and other professional publications.
Give presentations in your area of expertise.
Project a positive, professional image.
Always give your best and enjoy what you are doing.
Networking can facilitate us in supporting each other in our career development, but don't forget the colleague who is just entering the profession. Consider being a mentor to a new paralegal. The word "mentor" means "trusted counselor or guide." A mentor points the way, shows the pitfalls, and guides the person through the maze and intricacies of the profession. Just think of the effect you can have on a new paralegal. Mentoring is really a form of networking-just in a more concentrated manner. Please consider the following points of mentoring:
1. Once you have found your mentee, give the person a reason to "buy in" to what you have to offer. The mentees really look up to their mentors.
2. Introduce the mentee to other paralegals.
3. Persuade the mentee to take an active role in their local association-possibly as a committee member. Remember to volunteer for the same committee.
4. Ask the mentee to write an article for the local association newsletter on subjects such as their first impressions on being a paralegal, first week at the office, etc.
5. Keep in touch with your mentee. Take the time to pick up the phone and call.
The key to networking and mentoring is simple-communicate, communicate, communicate. Communication or conversation is very much an art, not a science. But it is a very important tool in your toolbox of success. The ability to communicate, and communicate well, will contribute overwhelmingly to your professional success.
Try communicating through the art of networking and mentoring.
