Networking that works

By Deborah Cohen

CHICAGO (Reuters.com) -- LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace... Ask any professional under 50 where they network and virtual communities are sure to come up
with starring roles in this 24-7 world of meet-and-greet.

Yet the ascendancy of social networking doesn't mean pressing the flesh has gone the way of Hula Hoops and brick-sized mobile phones.

Entrepreneurs appear to be doing more face-to-face networking than ever, says Diane Darling, a Boston-based networking consultant and author of The Networking Survival Guide (McGraw-Hill). 

"People are diversifying their networking," says Darling, who runs networking seminars for accountants, executives and others. "They don't give each other and themselves enough credit for the networking they're doing all the time."

If you approach all your social activities with an open mind, you may find some worthwhile connections that can give you a leg up professionally. Here are a few favorites among some professionals we polled informally; we hope they inspire you to think about your own daily interactions as potential networking opportunities.

Sister act

Jenn Hoffman, Orca Communications Unlimited LLC, Phoenix, Arizona

She's responsible for bringing in new business at this small public relations firm specializing in entrepreneurial accounts and says she found some trusted new business contacts in an unusual place: helping to raise money for V-Day, the global movement to end violence against women.    

Hoffman's also acted in a local production of the "Vagina Monologues", the popular play affiliated with the effort that has gained a reputation for its comedic and quite candid take on women's issues.

"I feel like we all got straight down to business, we all kind of trust each other," says Hoffman, who was later invited to sit on a local board as a result of a V-Day contact she made. "It was good ... you know the people share the same core values as you."

Wheels in spin

Guy Hayward, 180 Amsterdam

He's a partner in this international advertising and marketing firm whose clients include Adidas, BMW and Sony. He stresses the importance of bicycling to his firm's business connections. The agency is so committed to the activity, in fact, that its Web site talks up the fact that 120 people in the Amsterdam office (no great surprise) use their bikes as a preferred means of getting around.

"I can't tell you how often I hear Monday morning work conversations begin with, "When I was out riding, one of the guys told me...," says Hayward.

"Seems like groups form in companies, attach to others, invite others," he adds, noting that two recent senior hires at 180 resulted from networking that took place during cycling events.

Passing the political hat

Andrea Silbert, Eos Foundation, Harwich Port, Massachusetts

President of this Boston-area foundation investing in community causes that aim to combat poverty, Silbert says political campaigns are one of the best ways to connect with movers and shakers.

A former candidate for lieutenant governor in the 2006 Massachusetts Democratic primary, Silbert has worked on the campaigns of prior Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick.

"I met lots of business leaders and people who share my interest in politics and my ideals," she says. "It was great networking and lots of fun. If you do fundraising, you host or co-host events and invite your friends to come."

Not bored here

Keith Ashmus, Frantz Ward LLP, Cleveland, Ohio

A partner and specialist in labor and employment law, Ashmus stresses the importance of non-profit boards to his networking efforts. He sits on the boards of the Salvation Army of Greater Cleveland, the Greater Cleveland Partnership, the Ohio State Bar Association and the National Small Business Administration. He also counts the board of the Westwood Country Club as a client.

"Favorite places to network are generally places where you feel comfortable and want to be for reasons apart from networking," says Ashmus. "If you are doing something you think is important, you demonstrate your integrity, dependability, creativity, etc., to others."

Power play

Deirdre Joy Smith, POWER, Chicago

She's the founder and executive director of this Chicago-based women's initiative and has made successful networking her business. A former political fundraiser for Al Gore and other prominent Democrats, she founded POWER Opening Doors for Women in 2004 as a way for professional women to meet and mentor those coming up in the corporate ranks.

The highlight? The group's annual event, which puts the city's established female stars as well as up-and-comers together in one big room where they mix, mingle and later break out to different venues for panel discussions, dinners and - you guessed it - more networking within their specialty areas.

"There's just not enough women in corporate suites," says Smith, who is planning a satellite POWER project in Philadelphia and has designs on Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina and Austin, Texas. "There's still something to be said for people having experience and being able to pass that on."

School ties

Allegra Biery, Northern Trust Corp., Chicago

Senior vice-president, personal financial services for this Midwest financial institution, Biery relies on a host of networking activities to keep in touch.

Along with her involvement on several Chicago-area boards and the Chicago women's networking group POWER, the Smith College graduate is active in the local chapter of her alumni association.

"My alumni network is terrific," she says, noting that she'll periodically get emails from fellow alums requesting a referral or vice versa. "The most effective networking is built on relationships of trust."