When I was young we often spent our vacations in a small cabin in the North Woods. As the chill of the night air settled in my grandfather would say, “That stove won’t make heat all by itself, ya know.” This was a signal for me to haul in some wood so he could make a fire. This was also my early introduction to the concept of Give to Get. The next time you are working your network keep in mind two simple questions: “Have I invested in my relationships with the people in my network?” “Have I been proactive in managing these relationships?” Effective networking requires a proactive Give to Get mentality.

Being proactive increases effectiveness. Lawyers need to be proactive and build effective networks to be successful. Stephen Covey makes Being Proactive the first of his seven habits to becoming highly effective. It means more than simply taking initiative. Proactive people take responsibility for their own lives. Their activities are a product of choice, regardless of the conditions around them. My last activity in my office each day is making a short list of things I must proactively get done the next day. While events of the day may force me to alter my plans, I have a proactive reference point to effectively guide my activities throughout the day.

Give to Get helps your job search. Searching for a new opportunity presents an opportunity for Give to Get. A critical part of any search strategy is enhanced visibility and by getting involved you can enhance your image. Pro bono opportunities, bar association committees and local network groups are all available now that you have the time. Volunteer on boards and work at their functions. Once as a favor to a friend, I joined a local museum board and when they needed a new Executive Director, my firm got the business. Organizations will make room for successful, dynamic people and your volunteer performance may translate into real opportunity.  

Give to Get enhances social networking. As social networking has exploded lawyers are looking for ways to maximize visibility, make introductions and generate revenue. This requires a Give to Get mentality. One of the most effective examples for lawyers is creating a profile on LinkedIn. Be proactive. Take the time to learn the many positive functions the site has to offer and make use of them. Use LinkedIn as a personal Web site and spend time explaining all that you do, more than just “I am a lawyer.” Reach out to groups and connections and offer your help or opinions on issues relevant to them. I needed recommendations to enhance my LinkedIn profile. So I made recommendations of others and they responded with offers to do the same for me.

The essence of the Give to Get mentality. More than just joining groups and attending functions, Give to Get requires participation, lending time and knowledge without regard for immediate payback. It requires genuine interest in those we hope to add to our network. Covey calls this expanding our Circle of Influence. By working on things we care about we generate energy which is positive, enlarging and magnifying our personal influence. My 13 years as a volunteer on my local school board created professional relationships which continue to return value to me. I met my mentor, a very successful lawyer and businessperson, only because I coached his daughter in soccer. The more we Give to our network, the more we will Get from it.

Invest in your relationship bank. At your initial meeting with a potential addition to your network, spend your time together asking questions about their interests. Listen effectively and build your knowledge of the contact. Then after the event, invest in building the relationship by periodically sending things that matter to your contact. These could be as simple as news clippings or industry information. Attaching a personal note, even scrawled on a yellow sticky, is better than emailing attachments. Over time invest further in the relationship by attending similar events and having more conversations. In this way you earn the right to ask for help and when the time is right, your contact will gladly give it. If you don’t make deposits in your own relationship bank, don’t expect much when you go to make a withdrawal.

Remember, “That stove won’t make heat all by itself, ya know.” Embrace the concept of Give to Get. Be proactive and enlarge your personal Circle of Influence. Spend the extra time and effort giving value to your network and you will be rewarded by getting value from your network. In the words of the great country lawyer, Abraham Lincoln, “Good things may come to those who wait, but only things left by those who hustle.”