The pace is faster today. Decisions are bigger. Where are you getting reliable insight and answers? We often say that the most powerful–and underutilized–tool in the contact center is your professional network. Tapping into the collective knowledge of an experienced peer group is a great way to explore new ideas, build better programs, and reduce risks. That’s why we develop our networks in the first place.
When you share with other experienced peers, it’s often a faster, cheaper, more effective way to improve performance throughout your entire organization. It expands your own knowledge and creates more opportunities to grow. Over the next several weeks I’ll share with you how you can build a truly powerful professional network that will be valuable throughout your career. I think you’ll find these simple strategies helpful.
Here are the first two to get us started:
The Simple Truth and the Golden Rule are the cornerstones of a powerful network.
The simple truth is … we’re better together. Professionals in many industries find staying current is almost a full-time job especially on your own. So, lean on your network. Members of an active professional network connect to share knowledge, support each other, and contribute to the advancement of a common industry. Through their participation they leverage an industry-wide network of top colleagues to help them raise performance and reduce risk across both strategic and operational disciplines.
Remember … “all of us together know more than any of us alone”. Use your network to access the collective knowledge of peers. Use it to connect with colleagues who can offer insight and advice from their personal experience. Use it to build high-value relationships and fuel your career.
And best practice #2 is remember the Golden Rule: The real benefits lie beyond building. Your goal should not be to build a strong network … but to participate in one. The greater your involvement and contribution, the more you receive back in the form of valuable connections and candid insight. When you participate with the network you’re expanding your impact, supporting colleagues and contributing to their success. You’re advancing the industry one small step at a time. Your network is like a muscle–it gets stronger as you exercise it.
For a complete list of all 24 best practices you can use this link for a copy of the full white paper. You’ll get a pdf you can save and share and immediate access to the content online.
And if you have your own ideas and tips I hope you’ll send them to us so we can add your voice to the conversation. As we share our knowledge we spread success–and everybody wins!
Lon Hendrickson is the Executive Director of the CCNG Magnet Program.
