Dear Girl Bosses Under Duress,
This week, we’ll discuss Quarter 4 goal setting, the importance of professional networking, and how to discover and master your networking style.
Quarter 4 Goal Setting
October has arrived in full swing, marking the beginning of another quarter. If you haven’t had the chance to reflect on your goals for the year and assess whether you’re on track, now is the perfect time to do so. In one of our previous editions, we discussed quarterly goal setting and how breaking big goals into smaller, more manageable tasks can set you up for success. Tackling bite-sized tasks is far less overwhelming than trying to achieve a massive goal all at once. When I want to achieve something significant, it can feel intimidating. But when I break that goal down into months, weeks, days, and hours, it becomes much more approachable.
So, if you haven’t done this yet and are still working from a big-picture perspective, this is your chance to review your goals and measure your progress. If you find you’re not quite on track, reassess them using the S.M.A.R.T. goal framework (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-Bound). If meeting your goals within the next three months is realistic, draft an action plan that breaks them down into manageable steps across days, weeks, and months. If it seems unlikely, don’t worry—you still have next year. Why not get a head start on your 2024/25 action plan now? It’s a great time to begin without the pressure of 1 January 2025 looming ahead. Not convinced? Don’t make me say “I told you so” when the new year hits!
One of my own goals this year has been to increase my professional networking for career development. Initially, I thought this would mainly involve presenting at and attending conferences. While that has remained true, I’ve also expanded my efforts to include one-on-one informational interviews.
A few months ago, I was fortunate enough to present a paper abstract at an academic symposium. As someone who strongly believes in learning from others, when I sat down to map out my Quarter 4 goals, I reflected on my current career situation: I’m mid-level and aiming to pivot into a new profession and sector altogether. When I started this journey, I had no idea how much risk it would entail or how much courage it would require. But here I am on this moving train, and there’s no going back! I’ve had to dig deep into my reserves of mental toughness, stability, and clarity. If you ever find yourself on a similar path, know that strength and agility will be your greatest assets. If you want to hear more about my career pivot, check out the latest episode of the GBUD Podcast.
During this uncertain period, I’m positioning myself for all kinds of positive opportunities, including learning from experts. Over the past two weeks, I’ve attended two conferences. While I won’t bore you with the details (you can find those reflections on my LinkedIn), I came away with the realisation that I still have a lot of work to do in figuring out and mastering my networking style.
This inspired me to share my insights with you, so we can all boss up in this area. But before we get into networking styles, let’s start by discussing what professional networking is and why it’s so valuable.
What is Professional Networking?
Professional networking involves building connections with other professionals in your field and related fields. It allows you to create mutually beneficial relationships, where you can offer and ask for assistance, whether that’s through sharing information, making introductions, or putting in a good word to open up opportunities.
Networking can happen in various spaces, both online and in person. Some common places to network include:
- Networking events
- Informational interviews
- University alumni clubs
- Conferences and expos
- Online platforms and forums geared toward professionals
Why is Networking Important?
Networking is a fantastic way to hone your professional and social skills. It expands your network, providing a larger pool of people to ask for advice or favours, and can serve as a stepping stone to achieving your career goals. It also fosters community, enables learning, and helps you strengthen your professional brand.
What’s Your Networking Style?
I believe that personality plays a significant role in how we network, but it’s not just extroverts who excel at it. If you identify as an introvert, I encourage you to make the effort to speak up. Many conferences today are more participatory, so when you’re in group discussions, challenge yourself to contribute. It doesn’t have to be profound—just sharing your observations or reflections can serve as a great icebreaker and help you get noticed.
Marissa King, a professor of organisational behaviour who studies networking, describes three basic networking styles:
- Conveners: These people have close, interconnected networks and focus on maintaining existing relationships. Many of the people in their networks also know each other. However, conveners may not be exposed to new ideas as often, since their network tends to be quite homogenous.
- Brokers: Adaptable and comfortable in diverse settings, brokers have friend groups that may not overlap. They’re good at connecting people from different circles and often excel at impromptu speaking.
- Expansionists: These are the quintessential networkers. They seem to know someone everywhere they go and thrive on meeting new people. While they have large networks, their relationships with individual contacts may not be as deep.
Personally, I don’t fit neatly into any of these categories—I’m a mix between an expansionist and a broker. Learning about these styles has helped me recognise where I excel and where I still need to improve.
Tips for Networking:
1. Be yourself: Authenticity goes a long way!
2. Move with intention: Know why you’re entering these spaces—whether to learn, find a job, or connect with a mentor.
3. Take the time to know people: Listen, learn, and remember their names or where they’re from.
Conclusion
As we head into the final quarter of the year, I hope you take the time to be more mindful, reflective, and intentional about how you navigate your goals. Remember, there’s no failure, only feedback. If you haven’t achieved everything you set out to do, reframe your approach and see how you can fit it into the new year. Use these last three months to position yourself better for 2025, and explore your relationship with networking—you might be surprised at how much value you can gain by seeking a community of like-minded professionals to support you in smashing your career goals.
Much love,
Your Fellow Girl Boss Under Duress
Thembi
P.s: Speaking of networking … join us at the next GBUD Book Club - Phola : The Healing Series (Part 2), hosted at the Goethe-Institut. Catch all the details here.