My approach to networking has changed thanks to a few simple, quite logical observations from Adam Grant that I recently read. Grant, the famed Wharton professor and organizational psychologist, stresses how important doing is to the art of networking—both on the part of the people you’re trying to network with and in your own life, as well. (Here is the video that Grant made, but I'll summarize his three arguments and then expound.)
1. Ask people who are older than you for adviceThis should come as a no-brainer: people love to hear themselves talk. And many people (assuming they have souls and are not horrible, which some successful people certainly are!), like to help younger people. You can also teach older people things (about technology, for example) to reciprocate for their knowledge.