Learn how you can build successful connections professionally, personally and in your community.

For Chicago attorney Lema Khorshid, networking is about “building communities: reaching out and forming relationships with other people.”

Notice she didn’t say anything about back-scratching or a tit-for-tat exchange of favors. That’s because Khorshid integrates networking into her life based on passion and commitment. If the primary motivation is to give, she reasons, then you will inevitably receive in return. Here, Khorshid shares some networking wisdom.

Follow Your Passion: If you think of your network as a “community of like-minded people,” as Khorshid says, seek out those who share your interests, professional or otherwise. Contributing your skill and experience to these causes offers rewards beyond those of networking. “If we all believe in the same principles and all believe in what we can do together,” she says, “we’ll find ways to do it.”

Expect to Give as Well as Receive: “Don’t think of people as a means to an end,” Khorshid warns. That kind of cynical approach is likely to backfire and hardly draws people to you. Forming a relationship is part of a free flow of resources, to which you must be prepared to contribute at least as much as you receive. That may take the form of an exchange with one party, or paying forward into the community.

Build It into Your Lifestyle: “I personally shy away from specific tactics when networking,” Khorshid says. “People get caught up with roadmaps and strategy and forget all about building relationships.” Instead of imposing someone else’s idea of networking on yourself, do what comes naturally, whether it’s inviting contacts out to drinks or dinner, arranging a sporting date such as golf or tennis, or accepting volunteer or leadership roles in organizations important to you.

Keep Focused: Khorshid limits her obligations to those organizations she believes in and to which she can devote maximum energy. These include her initiative, BizOver, which honors women business owners in the community and provides a business boot camp.

Share Your Knowledge: Khorshid enjoys being a guest speaker at events because it gives her an
opportunity to draw from her areas of interest and expertise while connecting with her target market: small and mid-size closely-held companies. “I like the educational component of it,” she says. “It’s a way of giving something back.”