Actually, it's even more complicated than that.
"How about this for higher math?" asks Tom Peters. "Security is proportional to (1) the thickness of your Rolodex; (2) the rate of Rolodex expansion; (3) the share of Rolodex entries from beyond the corporate walls and (4) the time devoted to Rolodex maintenance."
Let me try to explain Peters' "art of Rolodexing":
The thickness of your Rolodex refers to the sheer number of people that you know - the more the better. Since no one's job is safe anymore, it's wise not to depend too much on any one person for your future. Cultivating a broad network of people who know and appreciate your work is one of the best forms of security you can create in this job market.
The rate of Rolodex expansion implies that you should never feel you know enough people. New and important players are emerging in every field and industry all the time. If you want to know where the growth and opportunities are, you need to constantly add new contacts to your network-preferably before you ever want or need anything from them.
The share of Rolodex entries from beyond the corporate walls means that having a diverse group of friends and acquaintances is also critical. If your network consists only of co-workers, you'll be in trouble if your company ever goes belly-up. Try to meet professionals who work in other parts of your industry and/or those who have similar functions in other industries. If you have a more isolated job, you can expand your horizons by participating actively in professional and trade associations.
Warning Signs That Your Job May Be In Jeopardy!
- Your boss has started treating you differently - but definitely not better. Your efforts don't seem to be recognized or appreciated.
- Ditto for your subordinates, who have started to go around you (or over your head) when they have a complaint or need direction or information.
- You have a new boss who seems intent on finding fault with you.
- Your boss has a new boss.
- Your job is getting too big for one person to handle. It's a setup for you to fail.
- Your job is getting smaller, and soon they may not need you at all.
- Your budget, expenses and perks are getting slashed. The company may be hoping you'll get overstressed and burn out.
- Your performance ratings are slipping, but you know your work has been fine. This is a surefire sign that the hand of office politics is operating.
- The company is going through a restructuring.
- Your company has been acquired or merged.
Once a week or so, I get a call from some colleague I haven't seen in a while. Typically, the person just wants to find out what's new with me or update me with some change in his or her situation. Sometimes, the caller shares an interesting bit of industry gossip. I appreciate this kind of initiative. No one makes it completely alone. It's good to be included in the circle of information - to know what's happening.
While networking requires a higher level of social alertness and more concentrated energy, it doesn't have to be drudgery. You just need to find ways to make it enjoyable. Try pairing it up with another activity like going to church, attending a lecture or playing on a softball team. Shared activities make for shared friendships, and friends make pleasant networking partners.
Some of it will still feel like work, particularly if your strategy includes returning to school for more education or taking on new responsibilities for which you're not getting paid. Still, the effort will be worth it. Just remember that desperate man who has to resort to wearing a sandwich board that announces his bottom-line price. Where are his friends and contacts now? Where are the people who know his work and appreciate it? Why is he forced to announce his plight to a million harried commuters?
Or consider the doorman who makes himself believe that his age is his problem and not his personality. Is this an attitude that would make you feel better about yourself? Think about it; wouldn't you rather be eating dinner with colleagues at a monthly meeting of your professional association? Wouldn't you rather be building both competence and goodwill? Or would you rather wait and take your chances on the "kindness of strangers"?
It's been nearly 40 years since William Whyte wrote his classic, The Organization Man (1956, New York: Simon & Schuster), in which he warned that rigid hierarchical corporate structures would stifle initiative and breed stultifying conformity. If you've lived in that world a long time, you may find it hard to accept that it's a whole new ballgame now. For organizations, and the people who staff and manage them, the only real security lies in the ability to grow, change and adapt. You can fight this new reality. Or celebrate your liberation.
