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Are You An Expansionist, Broker, or Convener?
A Yale professor’s personality test shows your networking style
In work and in life, relationships are everything. Most of us know this intuitively. What most people don’t know, however, is that each of us is sitting on a simple, straightforward way to strengthen all our relationships in ways that are beneficial not only to us, but also to the people with whom we’re connected, and to the people they’re connected to, as well. All it takes is a little self-knowledge.
As a professor of organizational behavior at the Yale School of Management, my research on social dynamics has led me to identify three main types of networkers: the expansionist, the broker, and the convener. (When I say “networkers,” I’m talking about building social networks in the broadest sense of the term — this applies to professional relationships, but it applies to friendships, too.) Most people will find that they fall into one of these categories. Understanding which one applies to you can transform the way you approach your relationships.
