Effective leaders work to create productive relationships that enable all involved to reach mutually beneficial goals and end results. In today’s world, productive relationships are increasingly built through networking. Networking and knowledge sharing are some of the best benefits of belonging to an organization as you have access to peers across service, state, and national boundaries both online and in person. From a recent member survey conducted by ICMA, it was reported that the number one benefit of membership is networking. 

Are you taking advantage of your networking benefits? More importantly, when you attend conferences, workshops and networking events, do you effectively know how to network? Here are four simple ways to network effectively:

1. Show up prepared. There is nothing worse than an awkward introduction, for both sides. So develop an ‘elevator’ speech to introduce yourself and to capture someone’s interest and make them remember you. Here are six examples of elevator pitches to get you started from ICMA's Leading Ideas Series and author of To Sell Is Human, Daniel H. Pink.

 
2. Commit some time to social networking. You have access to a variety of social networking sites. Use them! You don’t have to use social networking all of the time but dedicating just a few hours a week can lead to greater networks. Here are some examples:

• Prior to events that you plan to attend, visit sites like LinkedIn or other community websites and see who peaks your interest and who you might want to talk to at the event.
• Join groups and discussions, like on LinkedIn or the ICMA Knowledge Network. It’s a community area where you can ask questions, gather information, and connect.
• Contribute actively to the local government profession by sharing relevant industry articles on Twitter or Facebook; or organize a monthly networking event for other cities, counties, or towns in your state.

 
3. Go on a second date. If you find someone that you think would be a great mentor, advisor, or peer, schedule a second date. Express how you enjoyed meeting them, ask if you could get together and share ideas. If they liked your brief meeting, they will likely want to schedule some time with you, too!

4. Nurture the relationships you build. If you have spent a good amount of time networking both online and off, you probably have a number of contacts from the local government community. But if you want a great selection of relationships, it’s best to limit yourself to 5 to 10 people. It will be easier to manage a small group of contacts with whom you can keep in touch and have quality interactions.