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The Network Effect – Harnessing the Power of Your Network

This morning I attended another fabulous event at Focus. It was a masterclass delivered by Judith Perle of Management Advantage called ‘The Network Effect – Harnessing the Power of Your Network’.

As usual at a Focus event, I met some very interesting people from many different countries including: Germany, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands and The U.S.A. It was an engaging topic and everyone got involved in the discussion.

Until today, I thought of networking as a fairly unpleasant task of making awkward small talk with strangers and collecting business cards. I learned from Judith that simply changing the word ‘networking’ to ‘connecting’ reframes it into a much more appealing activity. Looking at it from the viewpoint of a connector, we can go to events, meet lots of people who have their own unique perspectives and raisons d’être*, learn about what interests them and what their current challenges are. Then, when we meet another person who has a similar interest, or maybe even a solution to an issue, we can connect those people and possibly help both of them. Networking just became fun! It’s no longer about me and it’s all about getting to know other people. Along the way, if we openly share our interests with people, then someone somewhere might be introduced to us.

You have probably heard that if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got. We all recognise that the people in our inner circle, the ones we spend most of our time with, share many of the same ideas we do. If we want to learn and grow, we need to talk to different people and learn about new ideas and opportunities. The people on the periphery are people we already know: extended family, ex-colleagues or the local shopkeeper.  They are people that you have made a connection with in the past, people you like and still have contact with (thank you social media). These people have other connections in different areas and access to different ideas and opportunities. This is the power of the people on the periphery.

By this logic, to help grow a networking culture, we should always be open to chatting with people wherever we are. Who knows where the next idea will come from that will help you move forward with your goals?

 

*French expression commonly used in English to mean ‘the most important reason for something’s existence’

 

 

 

Photo credit to https://cr8tivquotes.com

Ah, the English language, it really is complicated, isn’t it?  It’s full of nonsensical phrases and words stolen from other languages. It seems there are more irregular verbs than regular at times. Let’s not get started on pronunciation until we’ve thoroughly thought it through.

Don’t worry, we can improve your English together.

Whether you prefer the traditional English teacher style lectures about grammar and sentence structure, being closed in a quiet room with a text book and headphones, watching videos or using English Language apps, speaking with a native English speaker is simply the best way to speak English better.

Your English Language coaching sessions are personal, one-to-one and tailored to your needs.  We can discover the way you like to learn and make the most of every session.

“It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.” – Ernest Hemingway