Personal Connections count but not the ones you think 

Previously, I outlined the four ways board appointments are made. This refers to a recent study I conducted that found that an overwhelming 65 % of current board members gained their most recent board appointment via personal connections. So, the question you should ask yourself is not, “Are personal connections valuable?” but, instead, “Which connections are valuable, and how can you leverage them into a board appointment?” This is what I want to delve into today. 

Personal connections count – but who are they?

For many, this study’s findings will not be surprising and will only confirm what you have already assumed to be true: that your connections make you powerful and that networking is essential. Malcolm Gladwell put it well when he said:

“People were nearly three times as likely to have found their job through personal contacts than through an advertisement, headhunter or other formal means.”

So, who are these magical connections? They are probably not who you think they are! 

First, when I tell people that personal connections count and that an overwhelming 80% of appointments are made without any formal application process, one of three things usually happens. People… 

1. Say and think that they don’t have the sort of existing networks required to leverage for a board appointment, or
2. Say they feel uncomfortable leveraging the people they know for a board appointment,
3. Say that they hate networking and aren’t natural networkers – they feel uncomfortable at cocktail parties and handing out business cards, or
4. People are frustrated that their existing networks have not approached them for a board appointment already.

The end result is that they get dejected, frustrated and quit too early or before they even begin. 

It does not need to be this way.

To begin with,  very few people have the sort of connections they need to gain a board appointment. Regardless, people do gain board appointments via personal connections all the time. Furthermore, very few people cite themselves as “natural networkers”. Most hate the thought of networking. The most loathed exercises include cocktail parties, working the room, and exchanging business cards. 

You will be pleased to know that these traditional views of networking rarely lead to a board appointment. Better news is that you can learn how to develop and maintain the right personal connections by adjusting your thinking and taking a much more genuine and authentic approach… oh, and it is easy to do and you don’t need business cards.

Your strong VS weak ties

I will get into this in more detail in upcoming articles. Still, briefly, when posed with the importance of developing personal connections, most people immediately think of approaching people I refer to as Strong Ties. These include highly experienced Non-Executive Directors, peers, family or colleagues with whom they already have an established relationship. You feel comfortable approaching them since they are people you know well and who know you well.  

But it is a mistake since fewer than 15% of all board appointments occur through people you see regularly or frequently – instead, it is the Weak Ties that are powerful in the board appointment process and can unlock the 80%+ of board roles that are filled informally, without board recruiters or advertisements.

Personal connections VS networking

You may have noticed that I don’t often use the terms networks or networking positively. There is a specific reason for this; the term networking carries negative connotations for many. While networking has its place, it is not for everyone. Moreover, it is often a hit-and-miss exercise, entirely dependent on who turns up to the event (and when), who is in the room while you are (did you just miss them or were they speaking with someone else when you were available), and who you speak with (almost always not enough). 

Developing personal connections is different, and when well planned and orchestrated, it will most likely get you appointed. But, and there is a but, not all connections are equal. My next couple of articles will help you understand who to develop connections with, who not to, how to find them and how to connect.

In Summary

Developing the right connections is the easiest thing to do, and it is rarely about networking events. The key is to stop networking and instead develop personal connections – connections that are authentic and genuine and that will, in turn, facilitate board appointments.

Developing personal connections is not nearly as difficult as it sounds. Once you identify the people who can help you with your board career, it is far easier than you might think. It is just one of the things I work through personally, and in great detail, with my Non-Executive Director Program clients.

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