Develop Networks Content Guide

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Develop networks: Content guide

Contents

Develop networks: Content guide 1

Overview 2

Key terms 2

Networks 2

Why build and maintain networks? 3

How do I build networks? 4

Exchanging information with people in your networks 4

Networking as a team leader 5

Build effective relationships through your networks 6

More resources 7

Sample answers to ‘My workplace’ questions 8

Overview

As a team leader there is a whole host of people you need to swap information with. By developing networks you will have access to more information and you will have more ways to circulate your information to the people who matter. This Content guide contains information and short activities to help you to:

· identify chances to build networks and relationships

· communicate the benefits of networking to the team and your organisation.

Key terms

Networking

To be influential inside or outside your organisation you need to be connected to other people and have access to information. Networking means using your connections or contacts to stay informed about what is happening inside or outside your organisation, and to convey information that you need passed on to others.

Networks

Things are different from how they were in past years. These days:

· markets are global

· product and service delivery systems are sophisticated enough to deliver ‘mass customisation’, eg online shopping websites or news websites

· communication systems bind the world together in real time, eg email, SMS and business-to-business computer networks

· scattered workforces are located in areas of lowest cost

· technology allows more people to work at home or in remote offices, and

· the old corporate vertical pyramids have been deconstructed in favour of more flexible organisational structures.

This means that you, as a team leader, may be dependent on literally hundreds, possibly thousands, of different people to get things done. And not only will there be this interdependence with a mind-boggling number of potential business partners, you will probably have no direct authority over them whatsoever.

This places a premium on your ability to build effective and influential relationships with the most unfamiliar of people. This is where networking and building networks becomes important.

Networking is the practice of actively using your connections or contacts to keep you informed about what is happening inside or outside your organisation.

Why build and maintain networks?

Some benefits of having networks are:

· social support — the people in your networks can be a 'friendly ear' when you need one

· job support — the people in your networks can help you to achieve your work goals

· sharing common goals — you can cooperate with other people to achieve things that benefit both of you

· lower cost to generate business leads and opportunities

· the chance to promote your team’s products or services

· more sources of information, ideas or revenue

· more opportunities to circulate information that you want others to have

· the chance to influence situations that affect your team.

Diagram: you can have several networks, both inside and outside your organisation

My workplace

1. Who are the people that make up your networks? List them, or draw a diagram like the one above. Now, can you think of any ways to improve or extend your networks?

Answer:

How do I build networks?

Here are some practical things you can do to build your networks.

· Identify the people you can get to know, inside and outside your organisation. For example, think about senior and middle managers, other team leaders, your own team members, customers, suppliers, industry specialists, people in government organisations, subsidiaries and branch offices.

· Actively build your networks. Attend more social functions, meetings, work lunches, conferences. Be ready to interact and be friendly with the people you meet. Ask them questions about what they do, and listen with interest to what they say. Everyone has a story to tell!

· Talk to your customers. Customers can be internal and external — think of them as anyone who needs you to provide a product or a service. Your customers will know many other people. If you get to know your customers you will be opening up a huge network of people for yourself.

· Talk to your suppliers. Suppliers can be internal and external — think of them as anyone you obtain products or services from. What we said for customers goes for your suppliers too. They are a huge potential network ready for you to tap into.

· Get to know the opinion leaders. They are the people who can influence others — managers, customers, suppliers — in your favour. As a team leader there will be plenty of times when you need to influence other people in order for your team to succeed.

· Put the good networkers in your team on the ‘frontline’. If good 'networkers' are the first point of contact that customers and suppliers have with your team, it's likely that your team’s external networks will increase. Good ‘networkers’ are usually the ones in your team who connect well and talk easily with a wide range of people.

Exchanging information with people in your networks

Networks are all about creating a two-way flow of information. To get the most from your networks think about both:

· the information you gather for yourself and your team, and

· the information you circulate or provide to others.

When you gather or provide information, try to focus on what you or the other person needs. Here are some tips.

· Why is the information needed? Knowing why helps you to gather or provide the correct information.

· What information is needed? Knowing what helps you to ensure that the information is correct and complete.

· When is the information needed? Knowing when helps you to organise your own priorities and manage your own time.

· How will the information be conveyed? For example, by phone, in person, by email, by post?

My workplace

2. Who are your customers? Who are your suppliers? Can you think of any ways you could improve your networks with them?

Answer:

Networking as a team leader

Networking is not something that needs to take you away from your team. How can you build your networks while you are doing your day-to-day job of leading and managing your team? Here are some suggestions:

· Create internal information networks — manage by walking around. See what works, what people like, what is the mood of the workplace. Network with and get to know your own staff.

· Encourage your team members to attend meetings and seminars that are relevant to the whole team, and ask them to give an oral report when they return.

· Hire staff with good communication skills, so that the networks they form add to your whole team’s networks.

· Know what your team’s longer term goals are. This will help you to build networks that are important for your team tomorrow, not just today.

Build effective relationships through your networks

Remember, when you build and maintain your networks, you are doing so in order to help your whole team achieve their goals. Therefore you need to have effective relationships with other people – both in and outside of your team.

Here are some strategies to keep in mind.

Recognise, respect and value individual differences. All people are different. A good team leader will not only accept the differences but also use them to motivate staff.
Se a good example to the whole team of how they should treat each other. If you're bossy and rude to your employees, if you intimidate or bully them, if you never consult them when you make decisions, chances are they will be bossy and rude to each other, and they won't work well as a team.
Support and defend your staff, your peers and co-workers, and be loyal to your boss. But you're often caught in the middle – ever heard the phrase 'the meat in the sandwich'? When this happens you need to understand the needs of your staff, so that you can communicate and explain them clearly to your boss; and you need to understand the point of view of management, so you can communicate and explain those to your staff. In most cases, clear and accurate information will help bridge differences between management and staff.
Communicate openly and honestly with all people. This can include fair and honest feedback on a staff member's performance, giving relevant information to management and sharing important information with your peers and colleagues. You also need to be able to admit to and learn from your mistakes.
Recognise and reward the contributions of others. Say 'thank you', tell your boss about the good work an employee has done.
Trust people to do a good job – most people are worthy of your trust. But to do a good job they need to what's expected – see the next point.
Make sure your staff know what is expected of them. What performance measures are they judged by? What procedures they are expected to follow? What deadlines or turnaround times are they meant to meet? What sort of behaviour is acceptable at work? What is not acceptable?
Be assertive. You need to be able to resolve conflicts, negotiate with suppliers, management and staff, and empower your staff to do their job well.

Productivity in an organisation is related to how people feel about each other, about their jobs and about their organisation. Positive attitudes lead to high morale and usually to an increase in productivity.

More resources

If you're keen to find out more about this topic, look for these books in your local library.

Malandro L (2003) Say it right, the first time. McGraw-Hill: Sydney.

Hughes T & Jowitt M (1995) Manage effective working relationships. McGraw-Hill: Sydney.

Birchall G & Colwill J (1996) Working relationships. Longman: Sydney.

Benjamin N (2002) Frontline Management Competencies: Learning guide for BSBFLM403B implement effective workplace relationships. Pearson Education Australia: Sydney.

Cole, K (2001) Supervision: The theory and practice of first-line management. Pearson Education Australia: Sydney.

Sample answers to ‘My workplace’ questions

1 and 2

Your answers to these will depend very much on the organisation you work in. Read the items in the bullet lists above each of these questions for clues about things to consider in your answers.

Up Front! Toolbox: Develop networks—Content guide Page 1 of 8