Networking
Building Your Professional Network
Many think that Networking is about standing in a crowded room with a glass of wine in hand hoping to pick up some work.
Maybe it is. In fact, part of it is. But Working Free thinks that true effective Networking is something much bigger and a major and vital part of our everyday life.
At Working Free, we have our own way of understanding, interpreting and actioning Networking.
We see Networking as a basic instinct. We are born with the need to interact with others. From that time forward we are dependent on others. We never become totally independent partly because others become dependent on us – in a variety of ways – and our dependencies on others are still there – but different. We interpret “dependency” and “inter-dependency” broadly.
It obviously starts with family – then friends – at school, home, university and at work. Looking back, there has always been some distinction between personal and work. In recent times – due to a mix of Covid, Tech, Brexit and ESG, these distinctions have become blurred.
The Working Free message is that, in moving into independent working, we can recognise these changes – this increasing flexibility – and can make personal judgements about our new inter-dependencies – who they are and what sort of relationship might best suit these contacts and how they might best be shaped. Within all this is the commercial application.
We have to create a personal infrastructure where good things can happen. Increasingly, Networking is becoming interactive with other aspects of our personal profile – areas such as Reputation, Branding, Image, Self-promotion, Learning. News-gathering, Fund-raising, Socialising, Special offers, New Ideas……………………New friends. Segregating work and private time is changing
How many times do we hear stories about a successful person’s “big break”? There is always a reason. The reason can almost always be traced back to something that someone in their network has done – something to trigger – deliberately or accidentally – the big break. Big – or any size – breaks are rarely the result of inaction.
“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main……..” from John Donne – (1572-1631) – also from the same sermon was…. “no-one is self-sufficient: everyone relies on others“.
(what came after that is remembered better “………any man’s death diminishes me, for I am involved in mankind. Any therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”
This fundamental truth – articulated on the early 1600s – is evidenced so often in so much that happens today of any merit. It was – then – and is now – Networking. We also refer to this as “Collaboration.”
Networking is a key part of the Working Free Pathfinder Programme – aimed at Corporates but also available to Individuals.
The Working Free Networking Pathfinder Programme is delivered through……-
- The Working Free Networking Overview MasterClass
- The Traditional Face to face Networking MasterClass from Working Free.
- Networking MasterClasses from Guest Contributors
- Elbow Room Networking from Devonshire House. Here
This is the Agenda for our The Working Free Networking Overview MasterClass:-
- Introducing Networking from Working Free.
- Definitions of Networking.
- Networking – what the future looks like.
- Networking – The Broad View.
- Social Media – Yes – Do It! Becoming obligatory for all.
- Your Networking Process.
- The Working Free Ten Times Table.
- Whatever this has meant and does mean for different people.
- For centuries, people have been joining “things.”
- Some Final Thoughts.
- Next steps
- Important External reading.
Please see Contact Us for more Information about The Pathfinder Programme from Working Free.
