Networking is one of my “hot button” issues. I’m a big advocate of networking, primarily because it has gotten me more work than I know how to deal with. I’ve previously posted networking advice and a blurb on why networking works. Now I’m going to talk about another aspect, negative networking.
I don’t know if anyone has ever used the term negative networking before, but here’s my definition of the term. “The deliberate, if unknowing, act of burning bridges, destroying credibility, and shattering of one’s own brand.”
With the advent of the internet and instant media, brand isn’t just about corporations anymore. Everyone has a brand the instant they set up a webpage / blog, sign up for Twitter, or use social media for any reason. Your brand might be that you are a sports fanatic and need to let everyone know how fantastic your team is. You might be an amateur cook posting recipes for friends and family. Or, you might be a database administrator (and author) using your online presence to showcase your professionalism. Regardless of why you’ve set up your stuff, you have branded yourself with your opinions, posts, and rants.
Networking is hard enough, with many people just too shy or uncomfortable to do it with any positive effect. When you add in how easy it is for anyone to negatively network, that just makes the whole situation worse. There are a lot of people who bad mouth coworkers in front of clients, make public declarations about horrible bosses, or insult the competition to a customer. I see instances of it every week. As a former customer service rep, nothing bothers me more than watching people do this. Because if they are saying this stuff about others to me, then what are they saying about me to other people?
A few other easy methods of negative networking is to lay out insults thinly disguised as jokes (knowing full well that insult is intended), becoming belligerent or obnoxious during social situations, not letting other people finish their thoughts, or flying off the handle at the slightest provocation (they may not have meant to push that button). Nothing ruins your credibility as a professional, or your ability to be seen as a problem solver, like being a public nuisance that doesn’t know how to compromise or be social.
Networking isn’t done just in person. Prospective employers know how to google too, and they will look you up online before calling you for an interview. Current employers and coworkers do the same. If you are independently employed, guess what your internet-savvy potential customers are doing?
There are a lot of people saying this, but it can’t be said enough: Beware what you post online. Given Facebook’s proclivity for changing security features so more than just your friends see your private wall, the fact that search engines actually cache old websites and pages for ages, and the new cyber-terrorism / cyber-bullying laws going up that require tech companies to keep data and contact information on consumers, it’s a bad idea to post something you may regret doing at a later date.
It’s so easy to blog-rant about personal opinions that your high-profile employer does not hold, post unflattering opinions of the boss or coworkers (or worse, threat them on your blog), comment about things that cause harm to your employer’s reputation / brand, or share proprietary secrets without realizing you are doing so. Before you decide to indulge in a blog-rant (or forum rant), think about this. These words will follow you around until the internet dies or the end of time, whichever comes first.
By doing this, any of this, you undermine your credibility and your trustworthiness. Anyone you’ve insulted or offended automatically drops off your contact list. Worse, any tertiary contacts that happen to know both parties and like the insulted party better than you has also become a non-contact. Any company you’ve commented on will likely put you on the Do Not Hire list in HR, so that is potential jobs that you’ve lost. Not to mention all those lost contacts may end up in a position of authority where they get to dictate whether you are the type of person they want their company to do business with. People start saying or posting negative things about you, and suddenly people you’ve never met or heard of want nothing to do with you.
And your networking pool just became the size of the kiddie pool you bought for your two-year-old last summer. Not only have you lost intangible assets, but you’ve officially put a negative drain on your bank account for all the future income you’ve lost.
Negative networking is the easiest thing in the world to do, but not the smartest. It takes effort to build trust and a reputation for reliability, honesty, and strong work ethics. It takes no effort at all to tear all of that down.
Just a little something for all of us to think about. Oh, and before I forget, the satire online mag, The Onion, has an interesting take on ambush networking.
