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Network Beyond Bias: Making Diversity a Competitive Advantage for Your Career
Is your professional network as diverse as the workforce and community around you? If not, you could be missing important opportunities for your career. We all face challenges in making meaningful connections, especially with people who differ from us in significant ways. Few of us consider the impacts of these missed connections. Even fewer know how to recognize and overcome them. This book will help you remove the artificial barriers that may be keeping you from your next mentor, star hire, or big customer. Are you ready to transform your career, one relationship at a time?
248 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 4, 2018
10 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 29, 2018
"Wow!" Amy Waninger's book, Network Beyond Bias, has completed changed the way I look at my network. Her perspective on networking is so fresh and so different it blew me away. I have gaps in my network I didn't even know existed.
Her book begins by exploring the difficult topic of our subconscious biases and how those biases impact our decisions. She is able to convey the research and science in a manner that is digestible and easy to understand. This style continues throughout the book. In the end, you feel like you have had a conversation with a new friend.
Amy then makes the case that your network is really a hidden super power waiting to be tapped. As someone who believes in the power of a strong network, I totally agree! The section about networking describes an easy to implement framework for building a professional (or personal) network.
Once she lays the foundation of understanding bias and the power of your network, the magic happens. Amy introduces us to her networking matrix by challenging us to network like a CHAMP. In this section, she describes a network that provides you with key perspectives every professional should have in their network. As I learned about the CHAMP components, I was feeling pretty smug, "Yep, I can rattle off at least five people in each category."
Next Amy describes the other dimension to the CHAMP network: diversity. Again, feeling pretty about my network, I dove in. She raises the question “what perspectives does your network IGGNORE? As I completed this section of the matrix, I realized I had a lot of gaps and filling those gaps would strengthen my network even more!
Throughout the book, Amy uses stories from her career, as well as, those around her. This makes the book incredibly personal for the reader. I know, after reading this book, I will never look at networking the same way again. Thank you, Amy! Thank you for writing this book.
Her book begins by exploring the difficult topic of our subconscious biases and how those biases impact our decisions. She is able to convey the research and science in a manner that is digestible and easy to understand. This style continues throughout the book. In the end, you feel like you have had a conversation with a new friend.
Amy then makes the case that your network is really a hidden super power waiting to be tapped. As someone who believes in the power of a strong network, I totally agree! The section about networking describes an easy to implement framework for building a professional (or personal) network.
Once she lays the foundation of understanding bias and the power of your network, the magic happens. Amy introduces us to her networking matrix by challenging us to network like a CHAMP. In this section, she describes a network that provides you with key perspectives every professional should have in their network. As I learned about the CHAMP components, I was feeling pretty smug, "Yep, I can rattle off at least five people in each category."
Next Amy describes the other dimension to the CHAMP network: diversity. Again, feeling pretty about my network, I dove in. She raises the question “what perspectives does your network IGGNORE? As I completed this section of the matrix, I realized I had a lot of gaps and filling those gaps would strengthen my network even more!
Throughout the book, Amy uses stories from her career, as well as, those around her. This makes the book incredibly personal for the reader. I know, after reading this book, I will never look at networking the same way again. Thank you, Amy! Thank you for writing this book.
August 25, 2018
I don’t think we can ever talk enough about uncovering unconscious bias, effective networking, and working toward greater inclusion. In this book, Amy uses personal examples and simple language to continue the dialogue and get us into action. If you do nothing else, be sure to complete the networking exercise in Chapter 33. This unique approach will uncover gaps in your network that you never knew existed
August 16, 2018
Are you creating a culture of inclusion? If your organization is looking for tools to help employees think differently, I highly recommend Amy C. Waninger's new book, Network Beyond Bias. Amy has created a book that shows individuals why diverse connections are vital to career growth, and gives employees a reason to care about this topic. Fun, easy-to-read, and practical in its approach, I highly recommend Network Beyond Bias for every HR and business leader's bookshelf.
Cathy Fyock, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Cathy Fyock, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
September 23, 2021
I can honestly say (and I hope others would agree) that I am a better person today than I was 6 years ago. What happened over the last 6 years you ask? A little over 6 years ago I started working with Early Career Professionals and I attribute my personal and professional improvement to the amazing colleagues that I have had the opportunity to work with.
From across the country or around the world. From America's elite universities to small liberal arts colleges. First-generation Americans, Dreamers, and those who chose to become American's. All of these amazing individuals changed my life.
So if you feel like you need to add breadth to your life, let me recommend Amy C. Waninger,'s book Network Beyond Bias. In this book, Amy provides an outstanding approach to building a diverse network that will help you personally and professionally using her CHAMP framework:
Customers
Hires
Associates
Mentors
Proteges
She talks not only about why each of these is important but more importantly, how to build this part of your network. And she provides an amazing tool to evaluate where you are today so you can be more purposeful in growing your network.
You may not have the opportunity that I have to build relationships with a new group of colleagues every six months, but Amy's book can give you a map to be purposeful in growing an amazingly diverse network.
From across the country or around the world. From America's elite universities to small liberal arts colleges. First-generation Americans, Dreamers, and those who chose to become American's. All of these amazing individuals changed my life.
So if you feel like you need to add breadth to your life, let me recommend Amy C. Waninger,'s book Network Beyond Bias. In this book, Amy provides an outstanding approach to building a diverse network that will help you personally and professionally using her CHAMP framework:
Customers
Hires
Associates
Mentors
Proteges
She talks not only about why each of these is important but more importantly, how to build this part of your network. And she provides an amazing tool to evaluate where you are today so you can be more purposeful in growing your network.
You may not have the opportunity that I have to build relationships with a new group of colleagues every six months, but Amy's book can give you a map to be purposeful in growing an amazingly diverse network.
August 30, 2019
The book hits a lot of topics at a surface level. There are a few takeaways from it but its too broad to get into practical application within different scenarios. The baseline definitions provided for each term used is one of the greatest values within this book. It will be a reference book for me for reason alone. The exercise on how diverse is your network is also useful and could be adapted for different environments.
October 1, 2019
If you are starting your your career or building your own brand or simply need a jumpstart for your current career, Network Beyond Bias is a very valuable book to have nearby. There are multiple suggestions and resources mentioned thru out the book that provide new ways of thinking and new ways of behaving. I highly recommend this book for everyone.
September 19, 2025
4.5⭐
Networking has always been an important part of my career as the marketing and business development director of my company. I have read many other professional development books, and they tend to be preachy and repetitive. This book is a very quick read (or listen if you do the audiobook). It covers so many important strategies for broadening your personal and professional network that ANY person can learn from, regardless of your profession.
Beyond networking, one of my favorite parts emphasized the importance of books. Amy says “for very little cost, and even less personal risk, books can help you learn about other views and cultures, develop empathy, and broaden your perspective.”
We had a conversation with the author as part of our book club, and she was just as relatable as she comes across in her writing. I’ve already recommended this read to several others!
Networking has always been an important part of my career as the marketing and business development director of my company. I have read many other professional development books, and they tend to be preachy and repetitive. This book is a very quick read (or listen if you do the audiobook). It covers so many important strategies for broadening your personal and professional network that ANY person can learn from, regardless of your profession.
Beyond networking, one of my favorite parts emphasized the importance of books. Amy says “for very little cost, and even less personal risk, books can help you learn about other views and cultures, develop empathy, and broaden your perspective.”
We had a conversation with the author as part of our book club, and she was just as relatable as she comes across in her writing. I’ve already recommended this read to several others!
December 5, 2020
Excellent and rich content for building your network in the best ways to help you grow professionally and personally.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews