Today we have a guest editorial from Andy Warren. 

I bet by now you’ve set or are working on goals for the year. Is one of those goals growing your network? If not, why not? And if it is one of your goals, is it a realistic goal and do you have a plan for getting there?

Not convinced you should network? Let me offer three reasons why you should:

• It’s career insurance. Imagine you were out of work today, how many people could you contact to let them know you’re back on the market?
• It’s a chance to help others. For example, this week I connected two people I knew for an opportunity that will benefit both of them. Be the connector!
• It’s not as hard as you think!

But let’s get back to the goal setting and planning. My own goal for the year is to connect with 100 new people. Some will be online, those that read my writing here and on my blog, others I’ll meet at SQL events, and a few more via work. It means I need to meet 9 people per month, call it 2 a week for the year.

That’s a lot of people to meet. If you’re just getting started, I’d suggest a more modest goal – one per month, plus three more for any SQL event you attend. If you hit that goal at the end of the year you’ll have connected with 12-20 more people.  How do you find that one person a month? Maybe it’s at the local PASS chapter meeting. Or a new colleague at work. Or a writer or blogger that you’ve read for a while. All you have to do is be conscious of meeting someone new and then catalog them.

Start the year with one towards that goal by connecting with me on LinkedIn. No, we haven’t met yet, but we share at least one interest, and with luck sooner or later we’ll meet for coffee to talk networking, SQL, and whatever else comes up.