The Best Time to Network? Always.
Why you should treat relationship-building like you treat your health: assess regularly, strengthen progressively, and know that it matters far beyond your career prospects.
Every week, a leader asks me, “How do I network my way into a new job?”
Sadly, it’s usually only shared with me when someone needs a job… badly.
Unfortunately, that’s one of the hardest times to build a relationship. You can do it, but it’s like trying to lower your cholesterol when you’ve had a heart attack.
You can do it, but it’s harder to make significant progress when you are climbing uphill with one arm tied behind your back.
You feel less confident about your path forward. You might have anxiety about the job search itself. Depending upon how long you have been searching, you might feel deflated and demotivated.
As I wrote last week, these sentiments don’t just exist within you, they seep out and can do the opposite of what you want: dissuading people from engaging with you instead of drawing them closer.
Needing a job and having a heart attack aren’t the same thing, but investing in your network is the same as investing in your health.
You want to be doing it early, often, and with the intention of making it sustainable.
And the good news is that it’s never too late to invest.
Let’s start with why you need to shift from viewing your network as a career tool to seeing it as a health indicator.
Humans have always been relational beings.
We live in communities, family units, and partnerships. It’s no wonder that we are wired to benefit from healthy relationships.
The 85+ year Harvard longitudinal study on adult development has found that strong, supportive relationships are the key to lifelong happiness, physical health, and longevity.
And yet, with the start of the Industrial Revolution all the way through the 2020 pandemic, our societal norms have made us more disconnected and isolated.
In June 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) Commission on Social Connection released a report revealing that 1 in 6 people worldwide is affected by loneliness. This doesn’t just mean people aren’t happy; the research indicates that loneliness leads to major health issues and even death.
With this context, isn’t it time to start viewing your network less as a series of transactional relationships and more as the foundation of your relationship health?
Well, if I haven’t sold you on the health factors, let me give you a few more reasons why your relationship (network) strength matters to your career:
Only 4% of senior positions are filled through direct applications. 70-85% of executive level roles are filled through networking and headhunters. That means without a network, you’re going to have a much harder time landing your next role.
And if you want to have the option of making a pivot mid- or late-career, you likely won’t be able to do it without a network. Recruiters focus on what you have done, less on what you could do. Most professionals get placed in a deeper and deeper box over time. Your relationships are what will help you get out of that box.
Just as you might focus on mental health or nutritional health, relationship health is a predictor of your overall well-being in life and your ability to secure a fulfilling career.
Isn’t it time you start investing in it with the same level of intentionality?
The 5 different networking muscles to strengthen (over time).
Each of these deserves much more than a few lines, but this is nice digest of the areas you’ll want to invest in over time.
Choosing who.
This is likely the thing that stops most people in their tracks. If you’re advanced, there are quite a few ways to make this strategic, but for most people, my advice is start with who you know and who knows you. In the beginning, you want to feel comfortable first and foremost.
Reaching out.
Next up in the discomfort scale is sending the message and actually asking for someone’s time. It’s not hard unless you’re like the average person and can hear 5 different voices in your head telling you “why bother?” “they won’t respond” “you’re not worth their time” “they’re too busy.” How do you get past it? Nike had it right — just do it.
And what you’ll quickly learn is that the hardest step isn’t the initial outreach, it’s the follow up. Because most people are busy and will miss your initial message. So you’ll need to do it again, and again before you actually get something scheduled.
Having a conversation.
There are whole books written about this. David Brooks’ “How to Know a Person” is a good recent one. But I like to follow what my son learned in kindergarten: Listen. Make eye contact. Stay still. Share when it’s your turn.
Following up + Nuturing.
The art of the thank you note seems to have been lost somewhere in the last 25 years. It was standard when I graduated college in 2001, but I’ve noticed that after an interview, sometimes I don’t even receive an email. I don’t care what anyone says, it’s bad form. Show that you care and that the person you met mattered to you. Even if you won’t be lifelong friends or perhaps talk again, do them the honor of at least acknowledging their time. It’s the right thing to do.
How do you make networking routine?
One you know what you want to work on and strengthen, now it’s time to build the habit so that you can improve it over time.
Get clear on your why.
If overall health feels too abstract, and you want to stick with career opportunities as your raison d’etre that’s fine.
Just get clear on why you will invest the time in this part of your life. Without a clear reason, when setbacks arise, you’ll not only deprioritize this effort, you won’t be able to find a way to reprioritize it.
Create a schedule.
Just as you create a schedule for your other health activities, do the same for networking. It can be monthly, quarterly, or even every 6 months, but book time on your calendar.
What gets scheduled gets done.
Make the steps smaller.
When you break down the big actions into smaller ones, you make it so much easier to tackle. If you feel any resistance at all, don’t aim for outcomes. Aim for outputs. In a world of OKRs that prioritize outcomes, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with big goals.
By focusing on small outputs, you build momentum with less drag.
Set milestones.
When you have goals, it’s much easier to stay focused and on track. It isn’t enough to simply say you are going to network more. Some milestones that have worked for me include: # of outreaches, # of events I’m attending, # of groups I am joining and contributing to.
Quality matters more than quantity, but make no mistake, quantity matters, too. The key is to set a target that feels achievable, but will require some effort. And don’t worry if you don’t get it right the first time. You can always change these as you learn more about what works for you.
Celebrate any progress.
When we are building a new habit, we need more positive reinforcement to build our confidence and give us the energy to keep on going. One way to do this is to track your actions and reflect on them regularly. Start with weekly or monthly, and you might be surprised at how satisfying it feels.
Get an accountability buddy.
People who have a partner are 65% more likely to complete their commitment — that jumps to 95% when you have specific, scheduled check-in’s! The key is to find someone who is as committed as you are.
We go further together.
Overcoming the inevitable setbacks.
Even if you schedule time, set milestones, make your steps small, and celebrate your progress, you will inevitably face setbacks.
This isn’t a prediction, it’s a promise.
Whenever we start something for the first time, even if it begins with roses and rainbows, thorns and storms will eventually emerge:
A harrowing time at work or at home will consume your time and attention and make you forget this entire effort.
You’ll have a dry spell where it’ll feel like everyone is ghosting you.
One conversation will go sideways, and you’ll want to crawl under a rock and never come back out.
You’ll lose your rhythm for a day that then becomes a week that then becomes a month.
Someone you know will land the perfect job, and you’ll wonder, “How did they do that? Is this even worth it?”
You don’t have to have a plan for all of these, but pick one or two and come up with a strategy for how you will respond before you face the setback. It’ll make it so much easier to get back on track if you do.
Here are some options:
Focus on how you’ll help your network. Not the other way around. When it’s about them, it’s much easier to keep going.
Don’t bite off more than you can chew. If it feels too hard, make the task smaller. Reduce the volume and slow the pace, but don’t turn off the faucet.
Remind yourself that the stumbles are part of how you learn. No one learns how to walk without falling. You won’t learn how to make networking a habit until you make some mistakes.
Get help. If you’re still not making progress, ask for support. If your accountability buddy isn’t able to give you the support you need, it’s time to call in some pro’s. Coaches abound in this area, as does free content on Youtube, Substack, and more. Don’t keep wandering, get directions.
3 networking activities to start in 2026.
So with all of this guidance, what are my top recommendations for 2026 to leaders who want to kickstart their networking:
1. Take stock of your network
Answer the following questions (Yes/No):
I have 2-3 people I confide in regularly and can get unfiltered, helpful career support.
I have connected with my current and former colleagues, clients and business partners on LinkedIn.
I talk to someone in my network at least once a month.
If you answered Yes to all three, you’re in great shape.
If you answered No to any of the above, you have an opportunity to strengthen your network. Pick one and let that be a focus for the next 3-6 months.
2. Join at least 1 new group
If you don’t participate in an alumni group, mastermind, industry affiliation, or some other gathering that is connected to your career and the skills that matter to you, this is your sign it’s time to sign up.
And if more work-related conversations isn’t your cup of tea, then choose something that is more of hobby. The point isn’t just to connect with people directly in your industry. The point is to be connecting with people.
Like any muscle, your ability to meet new people and build relationships depends on you exercising the muscle. This is a great way to do it.
3. Attend one in-person gathering every quarter
Virtual gatherings are wonderful and help you stay connected when transit and travel are more difficult to access, but there is nothing like an in person gathering.
Simple things like how to stand, how to make eye contact, and when to shake hands sound easy, but when you’re engaging with new people and you are out of practice, it might be exactly the thing that trips you up.
Charlie Houpert, a charisma coach, talks about how you can enter a room as prey or as predator. The difference isn’t in just how you appear, it’s in how you feel and how you connect with others — either small and anxious or relaxed and engaged. You won’t become a predator by staying in your room.
So pick one in person gathering every quarter. You can find these through the community group you join, through friends, or through websites like MeetUp or facebook. Even your local library is an option. Don’t be picky, just show up and practice engaging.
Closing thoughts
All of this is great, but what if you’re in a particularly busy season of life — young children, elder caregiving, managing health challenges, or just in a state of transition?
It’s OK to deprioritize networking for a period of time. But like any health activity you sideline, if you wait too long to restart, your muscles will have atrophied and it will feel hard to get back going.
And if you do have the time, then don’t wait. Many of the relationships that have born the greatest opportunities for me (e.g. jobs, clients, an ego-boost, and meaningful friendships) were built over years.
Relationships don’t work like an on demand app. They are more like a fine wine, taking time to coalesce into something beautiful. Rushing the process doesn’t give you better results and sometimes, impatience can ruin the outcome.
Instead, trust the process: Build and nurture. Give and be patient. Over time, I promise you the results will be well worth the wait. The key is to get started and stay the course.
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Here’s to a another week worth savoring!
May you lead without limits,
Great list of networking activities to start in 2026!