Friend Of A Friend . . . - Understanding the Hidden Networks That Can Transform Your Life and Your Career

What if all the advice we’ve heard about networking is wrong?

What if the best way to grow your network isn’t by introducing yourself to strangers at cocktail parties, handing out business cards, or signing up for the latest online tool, but by developing a better understanding of the existing network that’s already around you?

We know that it’s essential to reach out and build a network. But did you know that it’s actually your distant or former contacts who will be the most helpful to you? Or that many of our best efforts at meeting new people simply serve up the same old opportunities we already have?

In this startling new look at the art and science of networking, business school professor David Burkus digs deep to find the unexpected secrets that reveal the best ways to grow your career.

Based on entertaining case studies and scientific research, this practical and revelatory guide shares what the best networkers really do. Forget the outdated advice you’ve already heard. Learn how to make use of the hidden networks you already have.

This book reveals the counterintuitive, evidence-based principles for building a better network:

Dormant Ties: Discover why long-lost friends and former colleagues are your biggest assets for new information and opportunities. Structural Holes: Learn why the most valuable people aren’t at the top of the ladder, but acting as brokers between disconnected groups—and how you can do the same. Becoming a Super-Connector: It’s not about being an extrovert. Uncover the science of how some people build massive networks and why it gets easier the more connected you become. Shared Activities: Find out why networking mixers often fail and how joining the right activities builds stronger, more diverse connections naturally.