Internal Networking - How to Make it Work

• Understand your impressions of the term ‘networking’
  


• Understand how you feel and think about the impacts of networking, and how you go about it
  


• You don’t have to be a natural at it – you can learn the skills you need
  


• If you’re not keen on networking, change your way of thinking and try to view meeting people as an exciting moment
  


• When meeting new people, think about how you could help them
  


• Be willing to show up, engage and have a conversation
  


• Work out what motivates you and what will make it worthwhile for you to go along to an event
  


• There is a gender difference to how men and women approach their barriers to networking - often barriers stop women from networking so these barriers need to be challenged
  


• Practising networking makes it less scary – start by just sticking your hand out and saying ‘hello
  


• Networking builds a pipeline of opportunities and it’s based around relationships
  


• There are six key networks you need to have, these are:
  Operational
  Peer Group
  Expert
  Strategic Thinkers
  Internal
  Decision Makers
  


• The key types of people you need to know are:
  Decision Makers
  Influencers
  Connectors
  Introducers
  


• When you're networking, you're either looking for knowledge or contacts:
         Knowledge – e.g. case studies, white papers, articles, publications, books
         Contacts – e.g. expert, thought leaders, head hunters, decision makers



• Don’t start networking when you need to as by then it’s too late – networking should be part and parcel of your day-to-day routine
  


• A final mantra to remember: Chat, ask, help. Chat, ask, help. Chat, ask, help.
  
  

Heather’s presentation was followed by a lively and  interactive Q&A session which included Heather herself, Bojana Bellamy (Director of Data Privacy, Accenture), Rebecca Manuel (Managing Director, Global Head – Sovereign Wealth Fund Coverage, RBS Global Banking and Markets) and Stephen Norman (Chief Information Officer, RBS Global Banking & Markets).

The panel answered a number of different questions about successful networking and this is some of the advice they shared:

• If you are time poor, network via email or telephone - ask someone out for a coffee, forward a link to a white paper or an article that you think they may be interested in or an event that you can’t attend but perhaps they can.
  


• Network everywhere. Don’t just confine it to your professional life. Network with parents at your child’s school for example.
  


• Pick a person in the room who you are scared of approaching the most, and approach them and talk for five minutes.

Useful Documents & Links

Heather has kindly allowed us to publish her presentation slides from the event.
Please click here to download the slides

She has also provided some helpful documents that you could use as a starting point to send to your contacts to build your relationships further:
11 Leading Causes of Disengagement

The Outsourcing Enterprise - The Power of Relationships

The following document may be useful when trying to find out about your positive brand:
Reputation Development through Trusted Relationships

Below are other useful links from Heather White
How to create your 60 second pitch

Does a Killer Pitch exist?

Heather White's Book – Networking for Business Success £7.97 (signed copies)

This was the first networking event that we have co-hosted with RBS Global Banking and Markets (GBM) who we've been actively working with since the beginning of 2011 so our thanks goes to them. RBS (GBM) recognises the need for diverse teams in order to be successful and they have made a significant investment to raise awareness of the importance of diversity and inclusion. Part of this diversity and inclusion work includes a deep commitment to developing and retaining their female talent and if you are currently looking for an IT job, you can click here and check out their live job vacancies.