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dopamine is released. Release of dopamine enables us to process thoughts more effectively. It helps us
become more productive. Tap into this processing boost by making the most of networking opportunities.
Before you meet someone, take a time-out. Close your eyes. Think about that person. What do you know
about them? Have you interacted in the past? What is unique or special about them? How are you
different from or similar to them? As you think through these points, you activate the regions in the brain
(dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and temporal-parietal junction) related to social thinking. This activation
prepares you for more productive social interaction. You’ll feel good and the chain reaction is
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stimulated.

Tips to develop Builds networks

1. Not sure where to start? Create a relationship map. New to the organization? The relationships
you establish in the first few months on the job will be a critical factor in your success. If you’re just
starting to reach out, begin by creating a relationship map. Use an org chart to put names with titles
and locations. Who is a good contact in other functions? Who are the major vendor reps or contract
plant managers you need to connect with? Start local and then move further afield. Sit down with your
boss and colleagues and ask them who you should know. Understand why these people would be
good to connect with. Get some insight into how they like to work and what their concerns are. Then
create a plan to introduce yourself. Use e-mail or phone to send a short introductory message. Tell
them who you are, where you are, and what you hope to accomplish by working with them. Then plan
to meet them face-to-face. The map you create now will become the hub of your productive network.

2. Clinging to the familiar? Learn to let go. Networks are, by their nature, open-ended, changeable,
and ambiguous. There is no GPS to tell you which moves to make, or when. They are “navigated” in
the way early explorers crossed the Atlantic. With a generally understood destination. A handful of
information. A few tools and stars to steer by. Maybe you, on the other hand, like certainty. Routine.
Structure. Linear process. Working with people who share your experience. But you will need to
loosen up your old ways of doing things if you are going to successfully navigate the network. To
become more flexible and accustomed to change, engage in activities that require new ways of
thinking. Start small and then move on to bigger challenges. Take a new route to work. Eat lunch in a
new locale and talk with new people. Read a book that challenges your thinking. Teach your
language to immigrant adults. Plan a trip to a new country with your family. Then go. Design a new
way of working and teach it to your team. Changing your approach will help you step into the moving
stream of the network.

3. Find it difficult to connect? Understand what’s important to other people. Building a productive
relationship is far easier when you understand the world of the other person. The challenges they
experience. What their priorities are. Opportunities they see in the near future. And what’s going on
for them on a day-to-day basis. So make it your business to dig beneath the surface. Put yourself in
their shoes. Learn to talk their language. See life from their point of view. What is life like at their level
of the organization? What’s going on in their business unit or function? Recognize that sometimes
people have personal or professional challenges that affect their ability to work with you—even if they
don’t tell you about them. When you are tapping into your network, anticipate a good response but
don’t get discouraged if things don’t happen as you would like. When you understand others’
challenges, you will gain perspective on when and how to reach out to them.
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