We’ve all heard variations of the story, where an inquisitive child asks a wise old adult how they accomplished something that seems on the surface to be almost impossible - and their answer is simply, by taking one step at a time.

There’s a lot of wisdom in that story – and it can easily be applied to many things in our lives, including networking.

One of the most important things we need to do, especially in business, is to build an effective network with contacts in lots of different roles in lots of different industries. You never know when you will find yourself in a position to either help or ask for help from someone in your network.

So how do you do that? Well, to go back to our initial story, we do it one step at a time.

Networking is not something you schedule into your calendar for an hour every week. Networking is something that you do whenever you have the chance. And there’s usually more chances that you realize, if you focus your attention on it.

There are three things that I have learned about networking.

Get out there

You are not going to develop a network by sitting at your desk. Research relevant local events for your industry, whether they be tradeshows or conferences. Attending is good, but attending with a goal in mind is better. Go in with a goal of meeting 3-5 new people at each event. Otherwise, it’s too easy to catch up with old friends or colleagues and miss the opportunity to start developing your network.

Use Linked IN

It amazes me that I still meet people who don’t use Linked IN nowadays. Linked IN makes connecting so much easier – once you have met someone at an industry event, take a minute and connect with them on Linked IN. And the interesting thing, you will find that the world is actually a lot smaller than you think and that more than likely, you will have something in common with your new contacts whether it be people you know, places you’ve lived or schools you’ve attended.

Engage with your network

Once you’ve connected, engage with your network. Post your own updates regularly and share your insights and expertise. Comment on posts and re-share valuable posts from within your network. Then when the time comes that someone in your network needs help or maybe you need help from your network, you’ve positioned yourself well.

So, how do we build an effective network? With a focus on one connection at a time.