Avoid A Stagnant Network

In my opinion, a network is only as strong as the depth of the people that are connected within it. 

By this, I mean that when you are in a situation that calls for an industry expert and your list of "go-to's" are not available; it is wise to have others in your network you know can pick up the slack.  That is why I'm firm believer in continuous networking even when you believe your network is complete/solid/strong enough.

In my line of work, I don't force a business owner to use any particular person in my network.  As a matter of fact, in any industry at any given time, I may have a list of 5 - 10 experts that I suggest the business owner choose from. 

These are usually based on the scope, price and most importantly the 'personality' of the situation.  How deep is your network?

If I stop adding to my networking list... I'm letting my network become stagnant.  With a stagnant network the odds of having the proper industry expert for a situation decrease.  Once your connections within your network decrease, you may be experiencing a failing network.  This is a common problem but one that can be fixed nonetheless.