Networking with Visibility and Credibility

In the recent past I delivered a training program in which the concept of Networking was linked to the concept of Visibility and Credibility.

It basically says that Networking depends on three factors, which are Relevant Information, Working Relationships and Track Record. Networking without relevant information is "hoarding" names and email addresses and you see a lot of such people on various fora. They collect visiting cards never to glance at them again.

Networking without working relationships causes people to lose the strength of those relationships. Knowing why you seek to network with some people (the kind of work you might help them with, for example) helps you in purposeful networking.

Networking without a track record of performance will also lead to people not really look forward to network with that person. What you do is as important as who you know :-)

The Visibility-Credibility questionnaire helps people chart themselves on a 2x2 matrix in which the desired quandrant is of course, being high on both visibility and credibility. Such people are both "Seen and Heard" and are the ones who get all the plum assignments.

Where are you, in your own estimates, in your organization. Are you "heard but not seen", the advisor, or sage that the leaders approach, but who never gets the limelight. Or are you high on visibility and low on credibility, seen but not heard, the person who strives for attention, without performance results and therefore ends up looking foolish. Or, I hope not, are you low on both visibility and credibility, where you end up working and never rising in the organization?