MENUMENU
  • FREE RESOURCES
        • Accounts Payable
          Finally! The trick to securing greater T&E compliance
          Benefits
          Rooting out folks who don’t belong on your health plan: A 6-point dependent audit checklist
          IT
          3 costly misconceptions about biz email compromise
          Credit and Collections
          Collecting via email: 4 must-make moves in your subject line
          Accounts Payable
          5 Tough-to-spot signs that an invoice is fake
  • PREMIUM CONTENT
        • Staff management
          120 Proven Communications Tips for Today’s CFO
        • Payroll
          Handling Nonexempt Employee Pay: Stay Compliant and Avoid DOL Audits
          Accounts Payable
          T&E Best Practices: Complete Guide to Ensure Compliance
          Payroll
          Payroll Best Practices: 4 Ways to Save Time and Money
        • Staff management
          Email Best Practices: A 6-Question Quiz
          Staff management
          Innovative Communications Strategies: An Email Case Study
          Staff management
          A 5-part Framework for Successful Workplace Communications
        • SEE MORE
          PREMIUM RESOURCES
  • CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES
  • LOGIN
  • SIGN UP FREE

CFO Daily News

MENUMENU
  • FREE RESOURCES
        • Accounts Payable
          Finally! The trick to securing greater T&E compliance
          Benefits
          Rooting out folks who don’t belong on your health plan: A 6-point dependent audit checklist
          IT
          3 costly misconceptions about biz email compromise
          Credit and Collections
          Collecting via email: 4 must-make moves in your subject line
          Accounts Payable
          5 Tough-to-spot signs that an invoice is fake
  • PREMIUM CONTENT
        • Staff management
          120 Proven Communications Tips for Today’s CFO
        • Payroll
          Handling Nonexempt Employee Pay: Stay Compliant and Avoid DOL Audits
          Accounts Payable
          T&E Best Practices: Complete Guide to Ensure Compliance
          Payroll
          Payroll Best Practices: 4 Ways to Save Time and Money
        • Staff management
          Email Best Practices: A 6-Question Quiz
          Staff management
          Innovative Communications Strategies: An Email Case Study
          Staff management
          A 5-part Framework for Successful Workplace Communications
        • SEE MORE
          PREMIUM RESOURCES
  • CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES
  • Accounts Payable
  • Credit and Collections
  • Payroll
  • Accounting
  • Benefits
  • Finance Technology
  • More
    • Employment Law
    • Strategy
    • Policy and Culture
    • Fraud
    • Payments and Transactions
    • Budgeting and Forecasting
    • Banking
    • Staff Management
    • Cost Control
    • Supply Chain
    • IT

4 top CFO networking mistakes: Do you make any of these?

Jennifer Azara
by Jennifer Azara
August 15, 2014
3 minute read
  • SHARE ON

networking mistakes

No denying, networking is one of the best tools a professional has at his or her disposal. Whether you connect at an industry conference or online, having professional connections can be an invaluable resource.  

Of course it requires some maintenance. And sometimes folks make missteps.

It happens to the best of us, reminds a new survey by Robert Half International. Robert Half asked managers to offer up their biggest networking mistakes.

Take a look at the four that have tripped up your peers, along with tips to keep you from following in their footsteps.

Mistake 1: They don’t ask for help when they need it

Ask not what you can do for your network but what your network can do for you!

That’s one of the biggest benefits of having a group of trusted professionals in your circle: You can call on them when facing a problem.

Unfortunately that’s the No. 1 place managers come up short when it comes to their networks. They don’t seek out the counsel of their network. Nearly half (42%) of managers said they’ve failed to ask from help from the people in their network.

You don’t have to put it out to everyone you’ve ever met professionally when you have a challenge in front of you. But think about the folks you know who might be most insightful with your specific problem.

Bouncing ideas off a trusted member of your network doesn’t undermine your authority or expertise – it enhances it because you recognize no one can go it alone all the time. A great leader surrounds him or herself with good people.

Plus, often that person from your network may be less close to an issue than a co-worker at your office would be, which brings good perspective.

Of course remind them you’d happily do the same for them sometime.

Mistake 2: They don’t keep in touch with their contacts

So you take the time to reach out to someone at a conference or meeting and make a connection. Contact information is exchanged … only to lose touch a few months later.

It’s happened to more than a quarter (28%) of your peers, says Robert Half.

There’s a relatively painless solution to avoid this misstep: Schedule time to stay in touch.

It may seem contrived at first – putting it on your calendar to be in contact with a member of your professional network. But everyone’s so busy these days that may be one of the only ways to keep a network alive.

Social networking makes this easier now. If your contacts post on LinkedIn it’s easy to respond to that. Or if you’re uncomfortable sounding off in such a public forum, you can at least use that post as a jumping off point to contact in a more private message.

Mistake 3: Not thanking people for their help

Everybody wants to feel appreciated. And if a member of your network takes the time to help you, a thank you is definitely in order. However, 17% of managers say they’ve dropped the ball on this front.

It doesn’t have to spell doom for the relationship. Whenever you realize you failed to thank someone, do it then, even if it’s well after the fact. It will still be appreciated.

The best way to avoid similar issues again: Do it right away, whether that means firing off an email or handwriting a note (hint: keep stationary in your desk so you don’t need to hunt around for some).

Waiting to thank someone for an assist or an opinion greatly increases the chance it will slip your mind.

Mistake 4: Not providing help when others need it

Of course you wouldn’t intentionally blow off a request for help from someone in your network.

But people get busy, emails get missed and now and then you may miss the opportunity to thank someone who offered advice.

It’s happened to 7% of other managers.  If you discover this has happened to you, an honest apology and a sincere pledge to be more responsive in the future is your best bet.

Jennifer Azara
Jennifer Azara
Jennifer, a member of the CFO Daily News staff, has covered business and finance for more than 22 years. She has written for CFOs, credit and collections professionals and accounts payable practitioners and has spoken at industry conferences on sales and use tax compliance.

Keep Up To Date with the Latest Finance News

With CFO Daily News arriving in your inbox, you will never miss critical stories on accounting, benefits, payroll & employment law strategies.

Sign up for a free CFO Daily News membership and get our newsletter!
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
CFO Daily News Logo
  • ABOUT CFO DAILY NEWS
  • ADVERTISE WITH US
  • WRITE FOR US
  • CONTACT
  • Accounting
  • Benefits
  • Payroll
  • Policy and Culture
  • Employment Law
  • Fraud
  • Finance Technology
  • Accounts Payable
  • Credit and Collections
  • Strategy
  • Payments and Transactions
  • Budgeting and Forecasting
  • Banking
  • Staff Management
  • Cost Control
  • Supply Chain
  • IT

CFO Daily News, part of the SuccessFuel Network, provides the latest Finance and employment law news for Finance professionals in the trenches of small-to-medium-sized businesses. Rather than simply regurgitating the day’s headlines, CFO Daily News delivers actionable insights, helping Finance execs understand what Finance trends mean to their business.

Privacy Policy Terms of Service
Copyright © 2021 SuccessFuel

WELCOME BACK!

Enter your username and password below to log in

Forget Your Username or Password?

Reset Password

Lost your password? Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.

Log In

preloader