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THE IMPORTANCE OF PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Networking means using your connections or contacts to
stay informed about what is happening inside or outside
your organisation, and to convey information that you
need passed on to others.
Networking
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Networking the New Paradigm
• Markets are global
• Product and service delivery systems are
sophisticated enough to deliver ‘mass customisation’,
e.g. Online shopping websites or news websites
• Communication systems bind the world together in
real time, e.g. Email, SMS and business-to-business
computer networks
• Scattered workforces are located in areas of lowest
cost
• Technology allows more people to work at home or in
remote offices
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Networking the New Paradigm
• The old corporate vertical pyramids have been
deconstructed in favour of more flexible organisational
structures
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
We often depend on others to get things done and, in
most instances we have no direct authority over the
people we work with so, we must rely on our own ability
to build effective and influential relationships with
all sorts of people – many of whom we would never relate
to in our personal lives.
This is where networking and building networks
becomes important.
Networking
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
As a MGT Professional you will often need to engage in
both professional and business networking – networking
is a skill set you just can’t survive without.
Networking
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Some Benefits of having networks are:
• Social support — the people in your networks can be a
'friendly ear' when you need one
• Job support — the people in your networks can help you
to achieve your work goals
• Sharing common goals — you can cooperate with other
people to achieve things that benefit both of you
• Lower cost to generate business leads and opportunities
Benefits of Networks
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
• More sources of information, ideas or revenue
• More opportunities to circulate information that you want
others to have
• The chance to influence situations that affect your team
Benefits of Networks
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Networking
“Creating a fabric of personal contacts who will provide
support, feedback, insight, resources and information
needed to get things done.”
Harvard Business Review,(2007) ‘How Leaders Create and Use Networks’ January 2007.
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Examples of Networks:
• Established in many cities and regional centres
• Social networking sites
• Public speaking and special interest networks
• Social networks
• Women’s or men’s networks
• People with common interests to get together on a regular basis
• Clubs are another form of networks
Types of Networks
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Professional Networks
You can have several networks, both inside and outside your organisation.
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
A recent term developed to describe the use of
networking as a way to sell and distribute goods.
• Organisations are selling products using this system.
• The concept of networking has a far broader
application.
Network Marketing
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Something you do all the time, you just don’t always call
it that.
• Meeting people, developing relationships and
communicating – talking, listening, exchanging and
sharing ideas.
• Doing these things in an active, intentional way, that
is, with a purpose.
Networking
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
About sharing – information, ideas, contacts. It is about
giving and receiving these that creates a win-win
situation for all.
Not just taking, and not about what you can get from
someone. It is about giving and doing something for
others, that is, about developing and maintaining
meaningful relationships based on trust.
Networking
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Networking is about developing contacts with
people with whom you can build a rapport and
who may provide information, leads, referrals,
support and encouragement if and when it’s
needed.
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Networking
Networking is:
• Initiating key
relationships with a
purpose
• Cultivating these
relationships over time
• Leveraging these
relationships for mutual
benefit
Networking is not:
• A business card
gathering contest
• Something that yields
immediate benefit
• A ‘one-for-one’
exchangeNetworking is an opportunity to build lifelong relationships.
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Networking
In a larger organisation networking can also help:
• Improve communication
• Encourage collaboration
• Reduce alienation
• Maximise resources
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
The Benefits of Networking
Networking can be used
to:• Gain or increase business
opportunities
• Expand your business and your contacts
• Build trust internally
• Facilitate collaboration in people management
• Gain new work
opportunities
• Expand professional contacts
• Raise your profile
• Share resources and information
• Benefit from collective buying
• Expand social contacts and opportunities
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Types of Networks
Operational Personal Strategic
What is the purpose?
Getting work done efficiently
Enhancing personal and professional development
Figuring out future priorities
Where are they?
Internal Mostly external Both internal and external
What is the orientation?
Current project/ engagement
Current interests Future
What is the key attribute?
Depth Breadth Leverage
What is the Key Behaviour?
Building strong working relationships
referrals Creating new perspectives
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Good networkers constantly give away contacts, help,
information, advice, time, care, empathy, and even a
friendly ear or shoulder to lean on.
In return they receive:
• New contacts for their own networks
• Contacts to whom they can delegate or share
workloads in busy times
• Opportunities to share cooperative work
arrangements
• Opportunities to expand the range of
products/services offered by their business
Networkers
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Activity
Think about your understanding of the concept of
personal networking. Consider different aspects of your
life, including your personal and professional areas.
1. What sort of personal networks do you have or have
you had in the past?
2. How do you think they have helped you?
3. Now think about the jobs you’ve had. What networks
have you been involved with?
4. How helpful were they?
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Activity
5. Think about the sort of job you want once you’ve
completed this course. What sort of networks do you
think you will need to develop and why?
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
1. Can you visualise your web of networks?
How Large is Your Network?
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
• People like to do business with people they trust.
Social Media allows for this
• Learning about potential clients, vendors, or partners
by reviewing online profiles, turning what could have
been an extremely cold call into a warm one
• It also assists in re-connecting with contacts we
haven’t seen or heard from in years
Social Media and Networking
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
• Everyday you have to work with a number of different
people
• You have to have a relationship with these people to
enable you to work successfully with them
• You can build and nurture this relationship using social
media
• You should establish the key people in your
organisation and work down from there
Social Networking at Work
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Social Networking at Work
The core of social media is building strong connections
and supportive communities are going to be a more
important part of business culture in the future.
E.g. IBM ‘Succeeding@IBM’ program:
• for new employees (first 6-12months)
• they use a social networking group for collaborating
on topics and getting to know others outside their own
departments
• helps improve their global networking skills
• gives new employees a broader base of knowledge to
tap into as they adapt to their new jobs and company
cultureSource: Randy McDonald HRE Online
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
How Social Networking Helps Your Professional Networking
• Visibility
• Pace
• Common interest
• Shared goals
• Self-disclosure
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Are you aware of all of the social media networks and
initiatives that are available to you locally?
1. Take time to visit the various industry association,
Facebook pages, YouTube channels or LinkedIn sites
and make a list of the networks, associations,
initiatives or activities that you think could be of
interest to you as a Professional.
2. Record these contacts in your learning journal
together with a short summary of why you’ve
selected them and how you think they could assist or
help you.
Activity
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
LinkedIn Tips
• Use LinkedIn Today to stay on top of the news that matters
to you
• Follow companies you are interested in through their
LinkedIn page
• Add descriptive tags to your connections profiles
• Pose a question on LinkedIn Answers to find connections
with expertise
• Post a Poll to your LinkedIn network to ask a broad question
• Send a LinkedIn message to your network asking them to
send information
• Post one article a week to your LinkedIn connections
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
You need to be clear about what you want to
achieve by networking:
• Your intention and purpose
• Then set goals around these
Traditional Networking
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Traditional Networking
Networks are all about creating a two-way flow of
information.
To get the most from your networks think about
both:
• The information you gather for yourself and your team
• The information you circulate or provide to others
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Traditional Networking
When you gather or provide information, try to focus on
what you or the other person needs.
Why is the information needed?
Knowing why helps you to gather or provide the correct
information.
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Traditional Networking
• What information is needed? Knowing what helps you
to ensure that the information is correct and complete.
• When is the information needed? Knowing when helps
you to organise your own priorities and manage your
own time.
• How will the information be conveyed? For example,
by phone, in person, by email, by post?
• Who are your customers? Who are your suppliers?
Can you think of any ways you could improve your
networks with them?
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Timesaving Tips for Networking
1. Create internal information networks. Network with
and get to know your own staff.
2. Encourage staff members to attend meetings and
seminars that are relevant to the whole org., and ask
them to give an oral report when they return.
3. Hire staff with good communication skills, so that the
networks they form add to your whole organisation’s
networks.
4. Know what your organisation’s longer term goals are.
This will help you to build networks that are important
for your org. tomorrow, not just today.
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Traditional Networking: Identifying Who You Are
You need to know who you are in the context of
the networking you intend undertaking – that is
your:
• Business
• Position is within a company
• Skills
• Ethics
• Personal attributes
• Interests
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
How will networking help you to achieve your
goals?
Goal – To increase your profile within the your profession.
Solution – Attend a network of Professionals from your
industry
Traditional Networking
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Networking – Be Clear on Your Goals
When networking and establishing contacts always
be clear on what you want from each specific contact.
This provides a clear message to contacts re. how they in
turn relate to you.
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
When networking always introduce yourself:
• In a concise way that is interesting to the listener. This
will encourage them to ask questions;
• Describe your business or organisation briefly in 10
words or less;
• Be succinct in your job description;
• Don’t waffle – this doesn’t inspire confidence.
Networking – The Introduction
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Networking – Prepare and Practice
• Prepare and practice your introduction to contacts
• Frame your description in terms of what your business
or organisation does for its customers i.e. the
benefits rather than how you do what you do. E.g.
Jason the builder describes himself and his
organisation as ‘we build dreams’ rather than ‘I’m a
builder’.
• This introduction creates interest and opens a path for
questions.
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
What to Say…
• Introduce yourself
• Smile, maintain eye contact,
note body language
• Ask questions
• Allow others to ‘shine’
‐ Talk 10%
‐ Listen 90%
‐ Make the other person feel
important
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
The Fine Art of Small Talk
Meeting new people and initiating new
conversations:
• Always say hello and great people warmly
• Use an ice-breaker:
‐ How many people do you think will be coming?
‐ Tell me about the type of work you do at……?
‐ Where did you go to school?
‐ What do you find most interesting about your job?
‐ How did you come to be at…….?
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
The Fine Art of Small Talk
Learn to remember and use a person’s name
•Repeat to yourself
•Use it in conversation
Prepare, prepare, prepare
•Thing about the event you are attending
•Prepare your verbal business card
•Come up with a least 3 conversation points or topics
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
The Fine Art of Small Talk
Keeping the conversation going
• Show an interest in others
• Be a good listener
• Ask open-ended questions
• Dig deeper
• Be appropriate ‘do’s and don’ts’
• Don’t dominate the conversation
• Respect others and their opinions
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
The Fine Art of Small Talk
Exiting the conversation
• Be prepared with some exit strategies
‐ Moving from one conversation to another is key
‐ Graceful exits e.g. ‘I need to speak to someone
about….’
• Make a lasting impression
‐ Smile and a handshake – nice to meet you
‐ Establish a way to make contact in the future
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Activity
1. Consider different areas of your life, for example, work, social,
relationships, interests and so on and the goals you have
previously developed for them. How might networking assist
you to achieve these?
2. Develop a set of goals that involves networking in each of
these areas.
3. What sort of networker are you? Do you find it easy or hard to
talk to people you don’t know?
4. Develop your introduction using a simple description which
says what you do, not how you do it.
5. What other strategies could you use to help you leave a
lasting impression with the people you meet?
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Be a Confident Networker
Successful networking requires certain personal
qualities and skills:
• Move out of your comfort zone
• Remember your goals and purpose
• Overcome nervousness and meet new people
• Be an active participant i.e. ask questions
• Follow-up after the event – good networkers follow
leads
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Successful networking requires certain personal
qualities and skills:
• Attitude affects successful networking maintain a
positive and open demeanour
• Radiate confidence and optimism – leave a positive
impression
Be a Confident Networker
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Skills for Successful Networking
1. Communicate successfully – well developed
communication skills include the ability to:
• Actively listen
• Maintain eye contact
• Ask meaningful open-ended questions, which
encourage and invite participation, resulting in useful
feedback
• Be aware of the impact of body language, posture,
facial expressions, tone of voice, and so on
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Skills for Successful Networking
2. Be assertive and easily able to move on from a
situation when it is appropriate.
• You should be inclusive of others and not overbearing
in discussion
• Be clear and concise when communicating about
yourself and your business or work
• Engage the attention of your listener when doing so
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
3. Be culturally sensitive.
To be a successful and sensitive networker you need to
know that, when communicating with people from other
cultures, some actions, words and gestures may be
offensive, so be considerate of these.
Skills for Successful Networking
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
4. Presentation and public speaking skills are very
useful as there may be chances for you to present
information to your groups.
Skills for Successful Networking
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
A Summary of the Attributes of a Good Networker
A successful networker will have the following
attributes:
• An opportunity-focused outlook,
• A positive, ‘can-do’, optimistic attitude
• A pleasant disposition
• A welcoming demeanour
• A smile – therefore embracing and encouraging others
• The ability to include others
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
A Summary of the Attributes of a Good Networker
A successful networker will have the following
attributes:
• A well groomed and appropriate appearance
• Confidence
• Respect for others
• Tolerance towards other ideas, backgrounds and so on
• Communication skills that do not dominate
• Good listening techniques
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Networks Summary
Networking is the practice of actively using your
connections or contacts to keep you informed about what
is happening inside or outside your organisation.
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
To Build Successful Networks
Some practical ideas to build your networks:
• Identify the people you can get to know, inside and
outside your organisation
• Actively build your networks
• Talk to your customers/clients (internal/external)
• Talk to your suppliers (internal/external)
• Get to know the opinion leaders
• Put the good networkers in your organisation on the
‘frontline’
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
Ten Commandments of Business Networking• Have your tools with you at all times
• Set a goal for the number of new people you meet
• Act like a host – not a guest
• Listen and ask open questions
• Don’t try to hard
• Give referrals when possible
• Exchange business cards
• Manage your time efficiently
• Make a note on the back of the business card
• Always follow-up
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
In Summary
The growth of social media is changing the way we
communicate, interact and network.
Professionals can positively use social media to:
• Develop strong internal networks with staff, managers
and senior management
• Develop large external networks with past employees,
other professionals and business specialists etc.
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
In Summary
Traditional face to face networking is very
important.
Professionals meet and interact with others during
conferences, seminars, dinners and many other
networking occasions with:
• Clear purpose and goals – what you’re trying to
achieve with each networking contact
• Succinct statement in mind of what you do/ who you
are
• Plan and practice your introduction
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
In Summary
Networking is important for all Professionals, as a
shared professional practice, maintaining currency and
skill at the cutting edge of what’s new, as a means of
encouraging innovation and change and as a connection
to a professional body of knowledge and sense of kinship.
© The College for Adult Learning, 2014
See you next time!
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