Your professional network is a key pillar of your professional brand and your professional success. Despite all the hype around AI and related technology, soft skills are critical to being a treasury professional no matter where technology takes the treasury profession. There is quite a bit of content around the importance of building a professional network, but seldom, if ever, is actionable advice shared on how to actually do it. This blog will do just that.
There are several building blocks that should each be leveraged in building the professional network of any treasury professional:
- Treasury team colleagues
- Work colleagues beyond treasury
- Accounts Payable
- Accounts Receivable
- Sales
- Human Resources
- Operations
- Treasury peers
- On LinkedIn
- At live events
- At virtual events
- At networking events
- Service & Technology Providers
- Bankers
- Consultants
- TMS, AP, AR Solution Contacts
- Customers & Suppliers
- Treasury to Treasury
- Collaborating on payment types and timing
- Facilitating receipts
Identifying the people you want in your network within each channel can be done by asking yourself these questions:
- Who do I already know?
- Who do I want to know?
- Who do I need to know?
- Who knows who I want to know?
- Who knows who I need to know?
In terms of how to inspire people to be a part of your professional network:
- Get to know people.
- Let them get to know you.
- Ask how you can help your connections.
- Understand the value of your relationship to people.
- Communicate how you can collaborate with them in mutually beneficial endeavors.
- Communicate your expectations to people and let them know what to expect from you.
- Stay tuned to what your connections need.
- Proactively share relevant information with connections.
- Support LinkedIn contributions and offer congratulations relative to all professional accomplishments.
- Do not let relationship momentum come to a halt.
Finally, I want to share several ways to build connections beyond company walls:
- Social events
- Professional conferences
- Professional associations
- Public speaking
- Online communities
- Alumni networks
Stay tuned for the next blog in Managing Your Professional Brand in Treasury series!
Also Read
- Creating an Impactful Professional Value Proposition
- Managing Your Professional Brand in Treasury
- Choosing the Right Banking Partners: Navigating Treasury Needs Amidst Industry Shifts
- The Future of Faster International Payments: What It Means for Corporate Treasurers
- Global Banks to Use Swift for Digital Asset Transactions by 2025
- HSBC’s New Organisational Structure and Implications for Corporate Treasury
- Bitcoin’s $66,000 Milestone: What It Means for Corporate Treasurers
- Do You Have a Contingency Plan in Treasury?
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