Networking to success
Featured in the Motivation in Practice training manual
By Eddie Davies
Category: People Management and Motivation
Credit price: 4 download credits (Single user)
The poet John Donne (1571-1631) wrote ‘no man is an island, entire of it self’ and his words still ring true today. Modern managers cannot work alone; they have to achieve results with and through the efforts of other people. Success in achieving objectives in many organisations depends on who you know and how you can work together to achieve results for mutual benefit. In every job role, we develop a wide range of informal as well as formal contacts. It is this network that can prove invaluable for us to turn to for advice, information, action, support, feedback or just an opportunity to get things off our chest and help restore a sense of perspective. This training activity explores the various ways in which participants can identify and develop their current network.
You begin this training activity by leading a discussion that makes the participants aware that having a network of people is central to achieving results as a manager. The place of progression and job satisfaction as key motivators are reviewed, and a link made between these ideas and using your network to achieve these aims. Participants identify the benefits of networking and then spend some time identifying who is in their own personal network. The focus then changes to looking at how a network can help employees get a job either in their current department or to develop their career elsewhere in their organisation. Participants then look at how to set up an information-gathering interview; the type of preparation needed and questions that might be asked are reviewed. This section ends with a chance to put these ideas into practice with a role-play interview. The participants are given feedback on how they could improve their information-gathering skills. The final part of the training activity involves the participants considering six different approaches to developing their careers, and concludes with them drawing up action plans for continued career development.
Who is it for: This training resource is intended for use by trainers to introduce participants to the benefits of developing a network for support, advice and career development.
| Resource Type: | Activity |
| Min Group Size: | 4 |
| Max Group Size: | 12 |
| Typical Duration: | 05:15:00 |
| No of Pages: | 34 |
Resources: View standard resources for Fenman training activities
Purpose: This training resource is intended for use by trainers to either stand alone or fit into a wider training event that examines what motivates people at work. It can be used in combination with other resources from ‘Motivation in Practice’ and has been used successfully as an integral part of training programmes such as an introduction to effective management, interviewee/interviewing skills, life and career development, managing redundancy, performance appraisal, self and time management, stress management, and women in management.
Download the training activity, Networking to success as featured in the Fenman training manual; Motivation in Practice