You've been staring at this problem for three hours. You've Googled. You've read the manual. You've checked with your department. And you're still stuck.

Meanwhile, someone two counties over solved this exact issue last month. In 20 minutes. Because they knew who to call.

That's the difference networking makes.

You may already know the importance of collaboration inside of your departments. But what about outside them? That's where real growth happens.

You can encounter professionals who can tell you which software vendor actually delivers. Which policy update will survive council scrutiny. Which workaround keeps you compliant without drowning in paperwork.

You can't always Google that kind of intelligence. You have to know someone who's already lived it. 

Let's look at Debbie, a fictional Finance Director. She needs new accounting software. She started a comparison spreadsheet. She started comparing features. And she drafted an RFP from scratch.

Then she mentioned it at a conference. Three colleagues had already implemented the exact systems she was considering. They shared their RFPs. Their implementation timelines. Their regrets. Because of this valuable information, she cut her research time in half. Her RFP was stronger. Her recommendation to council was bulletproof because she could cite real examples from peer governments.

In the end, she saved over 20 hours of labor. At $50/hour, that's $1,000 in staff time saved. For one project. Now multiply that across a whole career. And this capability can be used across procurement decisions, policy updates, software implementations, and hiring processes.

Now think about the networking you've done. How many problems have you solved from interacting with someone else who had already solved it?

Networking isn't about collecting contacts and LinkedIn followers. It's about accessing collective intelligence to excel at your job.

When you build relationships with peers who understand fund balance policies, GASB requirements, and what it's like to present bad budget news to council, you gain something Google can't always give you: context from peers who've actually done the work.

And yes, those first conversations might feel uncomfortable or awkward. But being uncomfortable for 10 minutes beats being stuck for 10 days. 

In this article, we'll tell you all about the magic that is networking and how you can use it to your advantage. We'll also go over the when's, where's, and how's of networking. Basically, by the end of this article, you'll be ready to go out into the networking world, motivated to gather critical information to help you succeed.

How to Network When You're Already Drowning in Work

You're already working through lunch. You're staying late during budget season. Heck, you've even come in on some Saturdays. So why would you add networking to your to-do list?

Because networking doesn't take extra time. It replaces potentially wasted time.

Here's what it could look like for you:

• You're already attending a training. Stay 10 minutes after. Ask the person next to you, "What's working well in your department right now?" That's it. That's networking.

• You're already on a webinar. Drop a question in the chat or send a LinkedIn message to another attendee afterward: "Loved your question about pension reporting. Can I ask how your city handles that?"

• You're already stuck on a problem. Instead of Googling for an hour, call someone from your state association. "Hey, have you dealt with [insert specific issue]? I'm hitting a wall." Five-minute conversation. Problem solved.

• You're already drafting an RFP. Email two peers: "We're drafting an RFP. Anything I should know about the process?" You'll get better responses.

• You're already attending a conference. Go to the evening entertainment or networking events. Ask around to see what vendors people use. "Hey, what software do you use for general ledger? What about payroll?" Learning from real experiences is something that's rarely found on vendor websites. And you just got the inside scoop.

The trick isn't finding the time to network. It's recognizing that networking saves time.

And the most valuable networking happens when you offer help first.

Forward a useful article. Share a template. Introduce two people who should know each other. When you give before you ask, people remember that. And when you need help three months later, they'll return the favor.

In a nutshell, networking is professional relationship-building.

Where to Invest Your Networking Time

We know you can't attend every event. So here's how to prioritize them:

Highest ROI: State association conferences

Someone at your conference has likely already implemented the system you're researching. Someone else is probably one year ahead of you on the problem you're trying to solve right now. State association conferences are where you meet peers facing identical challenges to yours.

Time spent at one of these conferences can yield connections that save you months of work over the next year. Here are some examples:

• Ohio Municipal League (OML)
• League of Minnesota Cities (LMC)
• Tennessee Government Finance Officers Association (TGFOA) 
• Ohio Government Finance Officers Association (OGFOA)
• Kentucky League of Cities (KLC) 
• Municipal Clerks and Finance Officers Association (MCFOA) 
• Ohio City & County Management Association (OCMA)
• Florida Government Finance Officers Association (FGFOA)
• Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC)
• Missouri Municipal League (MML)
• Illinois City/County Management Association (ILCMA) 
• Texas City Management Association (TCMA)
• Accelerate Indiana Municipalities (AIM) Ideas Summit
• Wyoming Association of Municipal Clerks and Treasurers (WAMCAT) 

Bonus: Retirees attend these. They have time and institutional knowledge, too. They're goldmines.

Regional workshops: Best for depth.

Smaller groups can have more meaningful conversations, instead of surface-level small talk.

You can actually get into the weeds on fund accounting, performance evaluations, or rate structures. Here are some examples of workshops, their timeframe, focus, etc.:

And because you're geographically close, you can stay connected after the event. And again, you can always ask your peers what events they attend.

Online forums and webinars: Best for efficiency.

Can't travel? Webinars and LinkedIn groups let you connect without leaving your desk.

Drop questions in the chat. Follow up with people who gave smart answers. It's not as powerful as in-person, but it's infinitely better than working in isolation.

Cross-departmental meetings: Most overlooked opportunity.

Your IT director knows things about your financial systems that you don't (and vice versa). Your public works director deals with similar procurement headaches. These are free connections already inside your building. Use them! 

Community events: Lowest priority (but don't skip them entirely).

You might meet someone useful at a Chamber of Commerce lunch. These events rarely attract the depth of expertise you need for technical challenges, but there still might be some nuggets of wisdom you pick up. Go for visibility and relationship maintenance, not necessarily problem-solving.

The mistake most people make is they treat all networking events equally. Don't. 

Why Waiting Until You Need Help Is Already Too Late

Here's what could happen when you procrastinate networking:

You're three weeks into an ERP implementation. It's going sideways. Vendor isn't delivering. Staff are frustrated. Council is asking questions. And you reach out to someone who's been through it.

But they don't know you. They're busy with their own crisis. And even if they help, you've already made the mistakes they could have warned you about. You're playing catch-up instead of getting ahead.

Let's rewind and try this again...

Six months before your ERP implementation, you connect with someone at a conference. You ask about how their implementation went. You give them some information they've asked for, too. And you stay in touch. 

When your project starts, you call them on week one. They tell you exactly which vendor promises are realistic and which aren't. They share their project timeline. They warn you about the module that took twice as long as quoted.

You avoid their mistakes. Your implementation stays on track a little better. And council never doubts your competence.

Same project. Different outcome. The only difference was that you built the relationship before you were on fire.

So let's look at when you should network:

• Before major projects. Someone's already done a similar software rollout, a policy overhaul, or a department merger. Find them before you start, not after you're stuck.

• During transition periods. New leadership? Retiring colleague? That's institutional knowledge walking out the door. Networking fills the knowledge gaps before they become a crisis.

• When budgets are tight. This is exactly when you need to borrow ideas, templates, and strategies from peers. Networking isn't a luxury when money's scarce. It's survival.

• When you feel isolated. If you're the only finance director, HR manager, or utility billing supervisor you know, you need outside connections. Period. Isolation leads to burnout and bad decisions.

• Anytime. There is no wrong time to network! (Except when you need sleep...) 

The cost of networking is a few hours per year. The cost of not networking? Time, money, and headaches. 

Who to Network With (And Why Your Network Needs Layers)

The best networks aren't random. They're strategic. They are thoughtfully built for the most effectiveness. There's a foundation, which builds upwards, creating a structure that is stable. Here's who to seek out and how to build your network:

Layer 1: Your job twins (critical foundation)

• Who they are: These are people who do exactly what you do—same title, same challenges, same compliance headaches, same company budget. Other finance directors. Fellow HR managers. Counterpart utility billing supervisors.

• Why they matter: They speak your language. When you say "fund balance policy" or "GASB 87" or "FLSA exemption," they get it immediately. No translation needed. Conversations can go more in-depth.

• Where to find them: State associations, regional chapters, Facebook or LinkedIn groups for your specialty.

Layer 2: Adjacent roles (your early warning system)

• Who they are: These are people in related departments or neighboring governments. Your IT director. The finance director one county over. The HR manager in the next town.

• Why they matter: They see problems before you do. IT knows when a system's about to fail. Neighboring governments face the same state requirements at the same time. They're your radar system.

• Where to find them: Cross-departmental meetings, regional planning councils, county association events.

Layer 3: People ahead of you (your crystal ball)

• Who they are: These are professionals who are 5-10 years further in their careers. Or who've already implemented what you're planning.

• Why they matter: They've made the mistakes, so you don't have to. They know which software vendors overpromise, which policies backfire, and which consultants are worth the money.

• Where to find them: Conferences (they're often speakers), association leadership, webinar presenters.

Layer 4: Retirees (your secret weapon)

• Who they are: Former finance directors, HR managers, and department heads who've stepped back but stay engaged.

• Why they matter: They have institutional knowledge, zero political pressure, and the free time to help you. They've seen every scenario you're facing. And they're often thrilled when someone wants their advice.

• Where to find them: Association events, community boards, LinkedIn. Just reach out. Most are delighted to hear from you.

Layer 5: Good vendors (your market intelligence)

• Who they are: The good vendors who've worked with dozens of governments and actually want you to succeed, not just sign a contract.

• Why they matter: They've seen what works across hundreds of implementations. They know which approaches scale and which fall apart. They connect you to their clients who can give you advice.

• Where to find them: Ask your network who they trust. The good vendors get recommended constantly.

The mistake most people make is they only network with people exactly like them. But some real breakthroughs can come from all layers of a networking system. From people who see your challenges from a different angle.

Build all five layers. Then your network will be invaluable.

What You're Losing By Working Alone (It's More Than You Think)

Right now, while you're reading this, someone in your state probably just solved a problem you'll face next month.

They figured out a workaround for that new reporting requirement. They found a grant source you didn't know existed. They navigated a personnel issue that you're about to encounter.

And if you're not connected to them, you'll spend 10 hours figuring out what they could tell you in 10 minutes.

That's the hidden cost of isolation. Not just wasted time (though that's expensive enough), it's missed opportunities. Repeated mistakes. Solutions that could have been borrowed, but instead have to be built from scratch.

Here's what networking actually gives you:

Speed. You stop reinventing wheels. Someone's already written the RFP, updated the policy, vetted the vendor. You adapt their work instead of starting at zero.

Validation. It's easier to recommend a new system to council when you can say, "X, Y, and Z peer governments implemented this successfully." Your decisions carry more weight when they're backed by real evidence.

Resources you can't buy. Templates. Sample policies. Surveys. Organizational chart examples. Lessons-learned documents. These flow freely between trusted peers. You can't get this from consultants without paying thousands.

Career insurance. When your organization goes through leadership changes, budget cuts, or restructuring, your external network will keep you stable. People who know your work can vouch for you, recommend you, or connect you to opportunities you'd never see on a job board.

Your Sanity. Public service is hard. Budgets are brutal. Compliance is relentless. Audits are uncomfortable. Having people who understand what you're dealing with—who've been through it and survived—makes the work manageable.

Your network is the only professional asset you fully control. It's yours. You build it. You maintain it. And when you need it, it's there.

So take care of it.

But, What If...?

"I'm an introvert. Networking feels exhausting."

Good news: Introverts often build stronger networks than extroverts. Seriously. Networking isn't about working a room. It's about having meaningful one-on-one conversations. You don't need to be the life of the party. You need to ask good questions and listen to the answers.

Start small. One conversation at an event. One follow-up email. That's it. Quality beats quantity every time.

"I don't have time for this."

You don't have time not to do this. Every hour you invest in networking saves you 10 hours of solving problems alone. The math works out in your favor.

And you're already doing things that could double as networking. Attending training? That's a networking opportunity. On a webinar? That's networking. At a conference? Talking to a peer is both networking and problem-solving at once.

"My government is unique."

That's exactly why you need outside perspectives. Small governments can't afford to make expensive mistakes. And "unique" problems almost never actually are. Someone, somewhere, has faced your exact situation, just in a different town.

State associations exist specifically to connect unique governments with peers. Start there.

"I tried networking and it felt fake."

Because you were probably doing transactional networking ("what can you do for me?"), not relational networking ("how can we help each other?").

Real networking starts with curiosity and generosity.

Ask questions. Share what you know. Help without expecting immediate returns. When you approach it that way, it stops feeling fake and starts feeling like what it actually is: building professional friendships.

Into the Future

A year from now, you could face a crisis. A software failure. A cybersecurity emergency. A budget shortfall. Something that needs to be solved immediately.

If you've spent this year networking, here's what could happen:

• You'll send three texts.

• You'll make two calls.

• Within an hour, you'll have a sample policy, a referral to someone who's solved this, and a draft plan that's already been tested in the real world.

• Your team will think you're a miracle worker.

If you haven't networked, here's what happens:

• You'll panic-Google.

• You'll cobble together something that might work.

• You'll present it to leadership with less confidence because you have no peer validation.

• And you'll wonder if there was a better way.

Same crisis. Completely different outcomes.

The only variable was whether you invested a few hours this year building relationships. You don't need to become a networking expert! You just need to start.

This week, reach out to one person. Ask one question. Offer one piece of help.

That's how every strong network begins. Your future self will thank you.

What Happens Next?

You have two options:

• Option 1: Close this blog. Go back to solving problems alone. Keep Googling or ChatGPT-ing. Keep starting from scratch. Keep hoping you'll figure it out eventually. And you might. You're competent. But you'll burn twice as many hours and make mistakes that someone else could have warned you about.

• Option 2: Make one connection this week. Not ten. One. Send one email to someone you met at a conference. Connect with one member in your state association. Offer a suggestion at a webinar or training. Ask one peer how they're handling the thing you're currently wrestling with.

That's it.

One conversation. Ten minutes. And you've started building the network that makes every future problem easier.

The professionals who rise in public service aren't the ones who know the most. They're the ones who know who to call.

Which one are you going to be?

Or find out what conferences we'll be attending next....