Growing up in the early nineties, pre-social media days, the only way one could hope to land a girlfriend was to ‘hang out’ with all manner of friends. Your college friends, your colony friends ,your tuition class friends and more. But then, that didn’t always work. At least not for me. Since I did not have the luxury of swiping left or right, I did the next best thing. I liked photography and joined classes to hone my skill at Triveni Kala Sangam. It was known to attract a large number of pretty young women! Did I succeed? Not in finding my lady love! But this first conscious effort to expand my social group did help to form lasting friendships that have stood me in good stead over the years.

The next phase of ‘networking’ occurred when, in my late forties, my work life literally took over my life. I was in the throes of a mid-life crisis. I felt my growth had plateaued both professionally and personally. A few happenstance events led me to join a running group, and voila, a new chapter began! Thanks to my running friends, I have been running for more than a decade now. My running mates have added to my knowledge from their respective fields, expanded my professional reach, and keep me on my toes (quite literally) with the wealth of wisdom they share for my business.

Let’s move on to why you must network. If you were to search online there is a wealth of information available on why you need a professional network for career progression. I want to go beyond this classical approach.

In the twenty-first century, we all face or might face a high degree of professional uncertainty, emotional upheavals, and personal crises. It is becoming increasingly difficult to stay afloat. There is no clear boundary between professional and personal spheres. In my opinion, an emotionally stable, well-balanced individual is far more likely to succeed than someone with just brute professional strengths. That’s where your network will help by providing holistic support.

Sheryl Sandberg is spot on when she says to treat your career like a jungle gym, not a ladder. More often than not, you will be surprised by the collateral benefits of networking that accrue.

There is a significant advantage to building a professional network. Think of businesses as complex systems, where there is always a tussle within the organization and its relationship with the external world. For any career enhancement, you need to know the drivers of the business and the interplay between various stakeholders. Your network can provide you with crucial information to make sense of the lay of the land.

I propose three reasons why you must consciously invest in networking.

First, information is power, but too much of it can drown you!

We live in a world of information deluge, making it very difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. The world is changing at a breakneck speed, and all of us are struggling to complete our office tasks and keep ahead of our peer group. How do we make sense in such chaos? I have benefited tremendously from speaking with subject matter experts in my networks and getting a quick overview and a few pointed directions for further research. Your network should have a few seniors who can mentor you. You need somebody who can give you a high-level overview and also provide some tactical nuts and bolts to navigate the shifting landscape.

Second, network = sum total is greater than individual parts.

You are the sum total of all relationships that you build. However, the knowledge and influence that you carry is more than the sum total of individual connections you have built. In fact, you are more than your resume, especially when you transition to leadership roles. Your network provides a trampoline from which you can jump much higher, achieving greater success, enjoying more responsibility and exerting more influence.

Third, there is no substitute for word-of-mouth recommendations.

Hiring, promotion, partnerships, and investment have something in common. All key decisions require validation from an outsider. We still rely on our friends’ recommendations to select a movie to watch, restaurant to eat, person to date, and stock to buy. There is a reason for it. The recommender is putting their own stamp of approval and endorsing it with their past experience. All marketers strive to achieve word-of-mouth recommendations. Your network is your cheerleader. It will come in handy at almost all important moments in your professional life.

In a nutshell, life is complicated, and humans need simple frameworks. Despite all technological progress, humans still make decisions (more so for important decisions) by connecting with another person and seeking validation. By building your network, you are making a strategic investment where the payoff compounds at every turn. So, here is an invitation to all professionals: don’t do it because it is necessary for career enhancement. Do it to become a better professional, better human being, and better world citizen.