Why do people need to be in relations with others and to engage in networks?

#relationships #networks

The Magic of One Human Connection

Watch this video as an introduction to what is following.

The need for being in relations with others and be part of a group

     A lot of philosophers and specialists have discussed the fact that people need others to accomplish themselves and to be part of something. For instance, in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow, 1943), you can see that your need for belonging (3rd step) leads to the last motivational steps: the self-actualisation.

The Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

    Being part of a group allows you to get social identification (Tajfel, Turner, 1979). Indeed, part of a person’s concept of self comes from the groups to which that person belongs. Therefore, you don’t just have a personal selfhood but multiple selves and identities associated with your affiliated groups. Just think about it: you don’t act the same when you are with your parents, your friends or your colleagues. So you are clearly part of various relational networks (even if sometimes you may not have the feeling to be part of it):

• Family circle: parents, sisters/ brothers, cousins

• Close circle friends, neighbours

• Proximity » relations: merchants of your neighbourhood, doctors

• People met during your studies

• People met during work experience: to build your network as a startuper, you should also attention to people older than you, who have experience and can help you. You need to create a real and strong relation with them because you can learn from them. Having them in your network would be very useful.

• Members of sport or leisure clubs

• Members of associations

The need to engage in networks

     Now you have understood why you need others, let’s talk about why it is important for you to engage in networks.

“Your network is the people who want to help you, and you want to help them, and that’s really powerful”. Reid Hoffman (2014)

Your numerous networks, but above all your professional one, can really help you in different things:

• People can give you information about how to build a startup, how to recruit when creating your startup. They can also give you tips and useful insights to make your startup a success.

• They can share their own professional experiences as workers in a startup or creator of a startup.

• They can help you develop new ideas because interactions and discussions are ideal to think differently, from various points of view and expand your field of view.

• Those people can also promote you if they are interested in your startup idea: what can be better than supportive people?

     To create your professional network, you should really go to networking events to meet people and become visible in the professional field you are aiming at. What is very important is that you receive from your network but you also give. You have to see them in real life and be interested in their story. Indeed, your professional network should not only be business focused but also be on the personal level. If the people you are networking with have the impression you are really interested in what they can say, what you can learn from them, it would be easier to make them adhere to your ideas. They can even promote it. It is really a first important step because your good connections can make you meet other people and multiply interactions with other. Your professional network can become wider and more relevant for the creation of your startup.

    If you want to read more about this topic, just follow this link to our chapter  3 of our ebook(available in 5 days)



Morgane Casset