Networking VS Nepotism

There is no shame in standing on the shoulders of giants and building on what resources others wish to offer. The only shame is when we tend to forget the positivity of ‘networking’ and its advantages due to exploitation and misuse. Rather than giving opportunities, today networking has been contorted to limit many individuals of society and is benefiting only a handful. 

Keep in mind that ‘Networking’ if used unfairly becomes ‘Nepotism’, and this phenomenon is heightening in Bahrain and all over the world.

Wasta (Arabic: وَاسِطة wāsiṭah) is an Arabic word that loosely translates into nepotism, ‘clout’, or ‘who you know’. This is where an unqualified person attains a highly qualified job due to the fact that a family member or friend had ‘pulled connections’. The sad truths about this reality are: crucial positions are lost to unqualified individuals, and many others are unable to climb up the ladder of success no matter their persistency, qualifications, or skills. It is an undeniable truth that nepotism is crippling society, but we must not confuse it with networking. 

“Isolation is a dream-killer” was the title of an inspiring TED Talk by Barbara Sher, where she narrated the astounding occurrences which lead to where she is today. One of the unforgettable occurrence was about a woman in Memphis. Barbara had asked the audience in a session to stand up and say the dream they wish to achieve, whether small and insignificant or great and life-changing. A woman from Memphis started explaining how hard her life was; she was a single mother of a sick daughter who had been physically and mentally abused by her ex-husband whom continuously stalked her. All this woman wanted was to rest, to regain her strength and clear her head. However, the obstacles in her path were paralyzing. Barbara Sher had then asked another question to the audience “Who can help? Who is willing to find for this woman a solution?” A man rose from the audience and offered a cruise ticket he won from a marathon; a public health nurse rose, offered to aid the daughter as she was already in need for a patient to give pro-bono free work; a police officer sitting far back in the audience had offered his assistance to relieve her from the stalker. And now, the woman from Memphis, who had coincidentally attended a session by Barbara is now a teacher who helps children with similar traumatic experiences.

The astonishing aspect is not the fact that the woman had miraculously gotten what she dreamed of, but rather the reality that any dream could be made possible if there are the right connections and how these connections create a ripple effect. 

Barbara kept on repeating that the world is a network of people with enormous amounts of information and connections. Therefore we mustn’t eradicate networking because it is not the key to solve nepotism. We mustn’t start from scratch thus isolating ourselves from people who have the means to aid our goals. Let us not take the regressive approach; we are in a globalized world where connections are what develop us. So, yes, find connections and utilize them yet without hindering others.