Do you stand out as an effective leader of your people? Leadership of an organisation, or a team within an organisation, is not always as effective as people want it to be. This can be especially true for those who are transitioning within an environment where their previous role has not been as focused on leadership as their new one requires. Being out of a comfort zone can be made more tolerable by mixing with those who have experience in the areas that are new, and it can serve as a vital support mechanism. This is often known as networking, but can be much underrated as an improvement tool within organisations and sectors.
Networking can be broken into three areas
- operational
- personal
- strategic
Operational Networking
As a result of needing to achieve the specific function required in their organisation, all “leaders” need to build good working relationships with the people who can help them do their jobs. This includes not only direct reports and superiors but also peers within an operational unit, other internal players, and key stakeholders such as suppliers, distributors, and customers.
Personal Networking
This area deals more with seeking kindred spirits outside the organisation. The development of social and professional skills is a key driver, supported by the desire to gain knowledge about external professional domains. Through such professional associations, alumni groups, clubs, and personal interest communities, people can gain fresh perspectives that allow them to advance their own effectiveness. What makes a personal network powerful is its referral potential. According to the famous six degrees of separation principle, personal contacts are valuable to the extent that they help reach, in as few connections as possible, the far-off person who has the needed information.
Strategic Networking
Leaders must frequently – if not always – concern themselves with broad strategic issues. Relationships with other functional and business unit managers are an important resource for figuring out how their own contributions fit into the big picture. Strategic networking plugs the aspiring leader into a set of relationships and information sources that collectively embody the power to achieve personal and organisational goals.
How IiE can help
As a result of our extensive experience of working with teams and individuals over many years, we have available a wide selection of established tools and approaches
- Leadership development has proven to be invaluable in assisting organisations to achieve their goals.
- Networking is a specialist area that we have developed with countless contacts in a variety of sectors and specialist expertise and knowledge to share.