Press Release - December 2, 2010

December 2, 2010 - New York, NY - Every CIO is committed to keeping their infrastructure network running at optimum efficiency, and will dedicate a lot of their time and resources into ensuring that this vital network never fails. However, there is another network that is just as important to their success that often doesn't receive the same level of attention - and that is their personal network. A question that not just every CIO but every executive should be considering, especially with the uncertainty in today's economy, is "How robust is your personal network?"

We all know that if the infrastructure network at your company goes down that everyone who is reliant upon it will immediately feel the negative impact, and there will be serious consequences for whoever will be held accountable for the problem.

Your personal network is just as important to keep robust, refreshed, and operating at an optimum level - and there is a real a danger to you career-wise if it isn't. I advise every executive to take the time and effort to do an analysis and a refresh of their personal network for the following reasons:

• It is through your personal network that the data flows that will keep you aware of what is happening inside your company, inside your industry and really inside today's global talent market. Friends will keep their friends informed of whatever good news or not so good news is happening, and what they see as its impact. Access to this information affords you valuable lead time to react and prepare an effective action plan for managing your career. The expression that "knowledge is power" has not become a cliché, because today that statement is more valid than ever.
• Your network is often the best source of leads if you find yourself in the job market because you are ready to make a change either voluntarily or involuntarily. At our firm we refresh and expand our network of contacts on a daily basis as we ask people for their referrals and recommendations. Networking is without a doubt the simplest and most effective way to ensure that you continue to be someone that other people want to recommend for exciting opportunities either within their own companies, to other firms, or to those of us in search. The premise that a networking site like LinkedIn operates on is that the more people you are linked to, the more people that you don't even know will gain the opportunity to become aware of you - which is always to your benefit.
• Networking with your peers at other companies will alert you to trends as well as to new approaches to doing your job that you can leverage to be more successful in your own company or can help you to move into another company or even into another industry if you find that yours is stagnating. Technology is one of the few career choices that provides the ability to transcend a particular industry, so the more people you network with both inside and outside of your own industry the more you have the potential to expand your career horizons. " Networking will also provide you with the opportunity to gather valuable Business Intelligence. Before you commit to dealing with certain vendors for your outsourcing needs, or to purchase software or hardware - it is to your advantage to get unbiased information from the people that you can trust the most - your peers and friends who have successfully or unsuccessfully gone down the path you are interested in pursuing and who can give you the benefit of their experiences and either validate your choices or alternatively save you a lot of time and/or money.
• Networking is vital for your health and happiness. Having the opportunity to stay in touch with friends and professional acquaintances who both like and respect you, and who can understand the pressures and rewards of what you do is essential to everyone's mental health and well being, and is a great reminder of why you enjoy doing what you do, and who the people are that you have enjoyed working with throughout your career.

Your infrastructure network may keep your company running and in fiscal good health, but never forget that it is your personal network that has the capacity to do the same for you. If you can make sure that both of them are running at peak efficiency, you will enjoy a tremendous return on your investment in both areas.