In my previous blog post, we discussed the 3 lessons that Ruth gives us about networking horizontally
Or, in the words of Issa Rae, “networking across” with your peers. Click here if you missed that, sis!
But here’s why I stated that networking up also has it’s place:
Whereas networking across allows you to kick start and actualise your dreams without the affirmation or approval of the powers that be within your industry, there are some seats at the table that you have to be invited to rather than create yourself.
For example, Ruth could not have gone from working in Boaz’ fields to owning them with him as his wife without him accepting her proposal (yes, you read that right! See Ruth 3 and 4). Likewise-
There are life and business goals that don’t happen without other people’s say so
For example, my godsister recently applied to start university this September. Without them accepting her, though, she couldn’t just show up to class and demand a degree! A friend of mine wants to start a charity but she has to go through the proper channels and authorities to get it registered. Likewise, when it comes to PR, you can’t get featured unless someone accepts your proposal or pitch- just as Boaz did for Ruth all those years ago.
So, how do we go about getting in front of these gatekeepers?
Well, to summarise what has already been alluded to, you must:
1) Start from where you stand
In other words, do what you can to achieve your life and business goals with the resources that you’ve currently got at your disposal.
2) Network across
Know that relationships are also resources as you could literally be one connection away from your biggest breakthrough. Treat them with the utmost care and respect, therefore, while you go about leveraging them.
Also, networking across can also lead to networking up because the people on your level may have the ear of a/the gatekeeper within your industry. This was definitely the case with Ruth. When Boaz saw her in the field and was curious about her, he asked the servant who was in charge of the reapers who she was (Ruth 2:5-6). This is a valuable lesson to us as modern women. We may not be able to get access to the powers that be straight away; so it’s important to identify, be visible to and build relationships with the key people and influencers within their circle.
3) Network up
These first two steps are important because they give you a portfolio and the social proof needed to show that you are not only deserving of your next level, but can be trusted with it. It also helps you to form relationships with gatekeepers in order to build the know, like and trust needed for them to give you access.
4) Pitch
In Ruth’s day women couldn’t meaningfully sustain themselves without the help or protection of a husband; so getting married was a matter of survival for her. If she didn’t ask Boaz to “take [her] under [his] wing” or marry her in Ruth 3:9, she may never have had any kind of security. Through this we see that, as the saying goes, “closed mouths don’t get fed”. So if we, as modern women, will have to take a leaf out of Ruth’s book if we want to achieve our goals- whether that means asking for help, filling out that application, giving that presentation or sending that pitch!
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