Find your halos: Harnessing the power of networks as a woman
By: Gina Hood
Tags: Advertising, Career Development, Networking, Self Development, Gender Equality

Photo by Farhan Azam on Unsplash

This article is based on a talk I gave at BloomFest 2020 in London.

Networks and networking are a hot topic in most industries. And not always in a positive way. So as women, how can we use them to support not only our careers, but also to drive change within an industry?

How networks can drive industry change

I think it’s helpful to think about industry change in a cycle which has three stages:

It starts with a norm : accepted practices and behaviour

: accepted practices and behaviour …Then you start to have recognition of problems that exist within that norm.

of problems that exist within that norm. …Then people actively trying to fix that problem

And when you fix it – creating a new and better norm – the cycle starts again.

How networks can help drive the industry change cycle

Within this cycle of change, networks are a driving force in the crucial stages of questioning norms and forcing recognition of a problem. As women, we are used to being told we’re wrong, not believed, or our opinions being dismissed. But collective voices are impossible to ignore when we bring them together in a network, and in a time of flux like now, they are more important than ever. Networks like Bloom can play a powerful role in bringing to light issues that exist for women within in industries, challenging people and companies to address these.

Making networks work for you

Networks can drive change for you too.

I like to think about my network as consisting of three halos that around me. And not the good girl kind of halos; powerful, super-strong, badass halos. For memory’s sake, let’s call these Amplify, Guide & Expand. Or AGE.

Your “Network Halos”

Amplify

It’s easy to only think about networks in terms of a wider group; but your first network halo actually can start right in the rooms where your career is judged every day.

Being interrupted, not being given space to speak, and having our ideas appropriated are still huge problems for women. And this is magnified in industries based around opinion where who you are sometimes seems to be more important than what you are saying. If we don’t protect our voices, we start to internalise being silenced and keep opinions to ourselves.

So your first network to build is the one that helps your voice be heard, literally. Actively seek out people who will be in the room with you — your work friends, your team, your clients — to form a group that supports your voice. Your Kamalas! Follow the White House female staffers method of ‘amplification’, repeating other women’s points, and making sure credit is given to the right people.

Guide

There’s a saying that the only person who ultimately cares about your career is you. Which sounds a bit harsh, but is actually a great motivator for forcing you to take control of your career direction. And to support you in doing this, you need the people who will champion, test and guide you to shine as brightly as you can in it. These are the Guide layer of the halo around you, who sit somewhere between being a mentor and a coach. You need to actively find these people, don’t expect them to come to you. Sign up to mentoring programmes, find someone in your company who you admire and ask for a coffee, look up people within an organisation and book in a hello.

Expand

The last network halo is all about going beyond your career, and expanding who you are as a person. To build it, actively seek out those people who think in a different way to you, because they will teach you the most and challenge you to grow. To do this, you need to break out of your normal groups. Interest-based networks and events are a great way of doing this; try to meet people you don’t have any prior connection with. It can be pretty intimidating, but once you start you quickly get into the swing of it. The things I’ve found that help the most are:

Be warm and welcoming, it’s infectious.

Embrace going by yourself; you’ll get more out of it because it forces you to speak to new people.

Aim to have one proper conversation; don’t spread yourself too thin.

And lastly, always talk to the person who is alone in the room. You never know who you might meet.

So remember your three halos of networks — Amplify, Guide and Expand, protecting you, but also pushing you to become the best version of you.

What’s next?

Female networks are incredibly powerful for driving both industry change, and personal progression for women. Go out and find yours.