Time to repair our shrinking networks

There is a hidden cost to COVID-19 that has not been talked about very much. Our networks have shrunk. Normally networks don't shrink, they churn. We replace old contacts with new contacts, but that hasn't happened during the pandemic. We tended to hunker down with family and friends and just a few business connections – our inner concentric ring of connections. The problem here is that opportunity usually lies in the outer ring. Working from home has some definite advantages, but it does mean that we miss out on the interactivity that comes with spending time with other people – the chance encounters, the serendipitous events, learning on the job, the meetings outside the meetings, and all the unplanned activities (and, quite frankly, fun) that comes from working with a bunch of people we know, like and trust.

So, the challenge now is to get back on the networking horse, dust off our rusty networking skills, and look for opportunity. However, the reality is that opportunities don't float around on clouds; they're attached to people. If you're looking for an opportunity, you're really looking for a person. In addition to all the helpful things networking brings in terms of getting business, customers, investors and staff, research shows that people who have strong and diverse networks live longer, are stronger mentally and physically, earn more money and are happier. I like all of these! Also, networking is the antidote to one of the great crises of our times – loneliness.

Post-pandemic, companies will have to reimagine their talent pools and show employees that their development and advancement matter and are essential to the company's future. Networking will be key to this, and is a recognition that we are social animals that thrive on doing what many of us have missed over the last two years – being with other people.

I believe that a new position of CNO, or Chief Networking Officer, could help companies with these challenges. The job of the CNO would be to connect people within the company and externally; engineer the company for relational success; and build a networking culture, image and reputation. The focus is on building the social capital (i.e. the resources available in personal and business networks) of both the individual and the organisation.

Is it time for you to reconnect with your network?