Some of your colleagues’ careers have been mapped out below. Check out their development path, hopefully they can inspire you to shape yours…
What are your 3–5 personal rules for networking internally?
Be authentic
I’ve always found you connect better with people when you speak like a human, be yourself and be open and honest. For example, if I don’t know or need to check something, it’s fine to say so and go back to someone, rather than try to pretend as if you do. Once I know someone more, I also like to talk to them on a more personal level too (if they’re happy to). At the end of the day, we’re all people (no matter what level someone is at in the organisation), and it helps to establish trust more quickly – and I genuinely enjoy these conversations a lot too.
Have curiosity
Networking can be about being seen and being visible, but more value comes from understanding. Ask the thoughtful questions: what’s keeping people up at night, what they’re working on, etc. This helps to make sure what you’re talking about is relevant and useful to both of you. It sometimes means you can be useful or offer insight, support, or a point of view before someone even asks for your help, as you know more about what they’re interested in.
Stay connected
This isn’t about taking up too much of people’s time, but in our hybrid world, it’s about keeping in touch with people. It can be while you’re in an office, you pop in to catch up with someone, or sharing short updates, comments, or successes on Teams, etc., it doesn’t always have to be those more formal touchpoints.
What do you always do (or avoid) when building connections in the business?
What mindset shift helped you most early in your career when networking?
A big one for me, was about being brave and putting myself out there – even if it was nerve-wracking or out of my comfort zone at times. My (now) husband once said to me, about life in general, people aren’t judging other people as much as you think. Most people are busy focussing on their own world and how they feel and come across, so what feels big for you, isn’t usually for them. So, what’s the worst that can happen with reaching out to someone I don’t know well, or much more senior, for example?
What do people often get wrong about networking?
Many people misunderstand networking. It’s not about collecting contacts, being extroverted, or asking for favours. Real networking is built through small, consistent moments of curiosity, generosity, and follow‑up. It’s about making work easier for others, sharing what you’re learning, and building trust long before you need anything. When we treat networking as a contribution rather than a transaction, it becomes natural, human, and genuinely valuable for everyone.
How do you usually start conversations with people you don’t know well?
Starting conversations with people you don’t know well doesn’t need to be awkward. The easiest way in is to notice something specific they’ve done, ask a small question, or use shared context as a bridge. Keep it light, genuine, and focused on curiosity, not impressing them. Small, human openers build stronger connections than any perfectly crafted pitch.
How do you maintain relationships without it feeling awkward or forced?
The easiest way to maintain relationships is through small, genuine touchpoints: a quick thank‑you, a follow‑up on something you discussed, or sharing something useful. You don’t need long catch‑ups or big gestures. Just stay curious, stay kind, and stay lightly connected. When you focus on being human rather than “networking,” the relationship grows naturally.
What mindset shift helped you most early in your career when networking?
I remember going to a big CCMA event when I was first made a team manager (in Australia over 25 years ago!) I was really nervous, thought I’d say the wrong thing or show how green I was in the role. Well within about half an hour as we sat down and people started chatting, I soon realised everyone in the room had the same challenges and concerns, people shared incentives, ideas and how they have handled challenges with people management, customers and all sorts and I soon relaxed as I realised everyone starts somewhere and even some of the most experienced people in the room still had daily challenges (some of which I had actually successfully dealt with myself) and some of which I had not so I left that room thinking there really is no such things as a dumb question. EVERYONE has different experiences and exposure to challenges, and we all deal with them differently. There’s NO shame in not having the answer to everything, and that’s when that and I realised networking with my peers is just as valuable (if not more valuable) than asking the bosses for help/advice.
We all learn through our own experiences in life and at work and getting it wrong occasionally is the best lesson – but Networking enables us to talk about it and learn from it (and help others learn from it) so from that moment I think I used to talk to all of my colleagues other team managers to create an environment where we all talked about challenges or gathered thoughts and ideas on how to approach a particular situation and also when I responded or did something – to talk to colleagues about how I responded and whether it was appropriate or not… how could I have done that better… So networking does take some getting used to in this guise, but the more open and honest you are… The more you will gain insight from others and learn.
What do you always do (or avoid) when building connections in the business?
How do you usually start conversations with people you don’t know well?
How do you maintain relationships without it feeling awkward or forced?
Stay in touch, either if you are visiting their site/workplace or schedule a message in Teams to just say hi and check in now and again to see how they are going!
Schedule when a project of theirs is due to finish, to when a deadline was mentioned, and to say how’d it go?
Organise a coffee/catch up on Teams or in the office just to have a chat and see how things are progressing, or if they have learnt anything new?
Wherever you can – create a personal connection – you both like the same football team, or live close by or have been to the same holiday location or have kids the same age? Use these personal connections as a reason for a check-in (e.g., your football team had a win!?).
If you have a successful moment or have sorted out a particular challenge that you had discussed with them, drop them a line and let them know you made it/did it – or maybe they gave you a suggestion or idea to try – let them know how it went! Thank them again for the idea – give them some credit!
What do people often get wrong about networking?
TALK ABOUT THEMSELVES NON STOP – so you get bored and want to get away from them – they are not there to network and open to learning
What advice would you give someone who:
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