Networking
Practical exercise to develop Networking
Timings: 45 - 60 minutes
Rationale: The training gives a theoretical and practical introduction on how to build networking skills. This is relevant for mentors, in order to both support mentorees in developing networking skills, and in order to build and activate mentors’ own network in the mentoring program.
Learning outcomes: After the training mentors will:
- Have a deeper understanding of what networking is and how they an use it in the mentoring program
- Have a deeper understanding of their own network and how it can be used in the mentoring program
- Gain practical exercises to develop mentoree’s networking skills
Preparation:
- Have ready a computer and an overhead projector
- Prepare a PowerPoint presentation with the definitions and questions you are going to pose
- Prepare paper and pens for all the participants so that they can write down questions and notes during the session
- Prepare handout for network mapping exercise (ANNEX 1)
- print in A3.
- Prepare handout for exercise 2 (ANNEX 2)
- print in A4
- Prepare handout for exercise 3 ANNEX 3)
- print in A4
- Have ready a flip over/whiteboard and pens to make sum-up notes of the discussions.
- Divide the participants in groups of 3.
Program:
- Introduction to aim and rationale of training materials and content (5 min)
Exercise 1
- Prepare your own 1 minute Elevator pitch (5 min)
- The participants give their 1 minute Elevator Pitch to their group (3 min)
Exercise 2
- Mapping my network (5 min)
- Discussion about the exercise (3 min)
Exercise 3
- Case study (15 min)
- Shared discussion about the case study and line up points about using networking with the mentoree (10 min)
- Final comments (5 min)
Procedure:
1) Introduction to aim and rationale of training materials and content
Briefly present the content of the training session and the aim. Give a short introduction to networking and why it is relevant for the mentoring program:
Networking is perceived very differently depending on who you are and what you want to use your network for. Nevertheless, networks are a valuable competence that can be used in the mentoring process.
Basically, a network includes a number of people (or organisations). The network is built around a relationship, ie. a glue that binds one particular group of people together. However, the number of people involved in a network may vary hugely. One can say that a person “has a very small network”, and in that case it can be maybe just a handful of people.
Networking can be beneficial in a number of ways. Through networking you can:
-Build and maintain relationships: Use your network to create an overview of who you know and who will be of interest to you when you want to achieve your goals. If necessary, divide them into groups and be sure to maintain the contact
-Make use of the contacts you already have: Many believe that they do not have a network at all, BUT all have one that can be activated. Reflect and brainstorm with yourself and think of all the people you know from your study, work, training, circle of friends, volunteer work, associations, etc.
-Find sparring partners: Your network contacts can be good sparring partners. They can give you good advice while also sharing their experiences.
-Recover old contacts: If you have any doubts about how to start networking, you can begin by finding out if any of your previous schoolmates, workmates, neighbors, etc. may be interested in being included in your network.
-Creating better job opportunities: With your network at hand, you can find out if anyone knows someone who can help you with a job. You can also use the network to get the direct contact with the people who hire employees.
-Target your personal branding: Keep your goals and audience in mind when networking. Communicate your skills clearly so that you gain credibility around your person. Also, remember that your charisma, style and actions send a signal to the outside world.
-Be as skilled as those with labor market experience.
When working with networking skills it is beneficial to reflect on how to network and what type of networker you might be. The “Networker’s Ladder” introduces 3 levels of networking:
Level 1. Random Networker
Random networking is the first stage, and most people are here. Random networking is loose and unstructured, and it is random who you are talking to, who you are sitting next to and what you get from networking. If there is no one talking to you, you may not be talking to anyone. In short, a random network can be controlled by chance.
Level 2. Targeted Networker
Targeted networking is having set a goal in advance. As a “Targeted Networker” you can quickly become superficial because you are so focused on achieving some very specific goals. You may not be aware of it, but people can feel it. The Targeted Networker come e.g. with an ambition to talk to a specific number of people - typically in order to overcome some barriers, like fear of being rejected, etc. The advantage of the Targeted Networker is that the network situation becomes very simple as it is easier to relate to a concrete goal. Working on becoming a better networker, the Targeted Networker will be a stage you need to go through before you can become an “Aware networker”.
Level 3. Aware Networker
An “Aware Networker”, unlike the targeted networks, does not have an outer goal but an inner goal of engaging other people. The goal of the Aware Networker is to understand the people you are with and how to help them in the best possible way. In any meeting with other people, try to create as much value as possible and help them where they are. To become a “Aware Networker” requires that you know yourself really well. The philosophy is that you are fully present in all interactions. This also means that as an Aware Networker you are talking to people who may not be able to help you right here and now.
2) Exercise 1-Elevator pitch (5 min)
Divide people into groups of 3. Give them the handout and ask them to answer the questions. The participants now have 5 minutes to prepare a 1 minute Elevator Pitch about themselves. They should focus on their strong points and accomplishments.
Also make sure that they tell the others why they should work with them. They can highlight their own abilities and personality, or they can choose to talk about their workplace and what that company can bring to the table (if it is difficult for them to talk about themselves).
This exercise is something the mentor can do with the mentoree. It can be difficult to sell yourself, so this is a good exercise in putting into words what you are good at, and “selling yourself”. This is relevant in preparation for job interviews, internship interviews or in relation to networking and connecting with other people. The mentor might want to spend a few hours working on this with the mentoree. It would also be good to repeat the exercise several times during the mentor program so the mentoree can develop it.
3) Present elevator pitches in the groups (3 min)
The participants now present their 1 minute Elevator pitch to the others in the group. The others are taking notes, but do not make comments. After 1 minute the next participant is up.
4) Exercise 2 - Mind Mapping my network
Give each participant a print of the handout. Introduce that they will be doing a brief example of an exercise they can do with their mentoree. They will have to map out their network using the handout. The handout provides different categories based on how they are connected. Ask the participants to fill in as many names as they can in the document for 5 minutes. If they can, they can make notes about the names on what they are good at or what ressource or information they represent.
When the mentors work with their mentorees with this exercise, they may want to spend a few hours on this exercise and use it during the mentoring program to follow up on the development and map out how the network is expanding.
5) Discussion about the exercise
Ask the groups to show each other their maps and reflect on how the exercise went.
You may want to ask the following questions for reflection:
- Did you have challenges in mapping out your network?
- What types of resources or competences does your network represent?
- Are there people in your network that could be relevant for your work as a mentor?
- Are there areas missing in your network?
- The group can also be a network source, ask the other partispants if they know others who you can network with.
The participants can make notes to their maps during the discussion.
6) Exercise 3 - case study
In this exercise the groups receive a short case description of a mentoree that has a problem they need to find a solution to using their own competences from exercise 1 and activating their networks using the maps from exercise 2.
Briefly describe the case to the participants and ask them to discuss how each of them can help the mentoree using their own competences (exercise 1) and how they could active their networks to help the mentoree. This is a collaborative exercise so all participants’ competences and networks should come into play. Ask the participants to write down their possible solutions. They can also makes notes on the handouts from exercise 1 and 2 if they get new ideas or reflections.
7) Line up points about how to work with networking with the mentoree
Ask the participants to discuss together how networking skills are relevant in the work with a mentoree. Write the points on a flip over or whiteboard. If you don’t have time for the discussion you can sum up points that you heard from walking around the groups during the exercises. Let the mentors comment on your observations.
8) Final comments
Let the mentors express their impressions of the session and what they have learned. This can also be used for evaluation of the training.
ANNEX I: MIND MAPPING MY NETWORK
ANNEX II: ELEVATOR PITCH
1 minute Elevator Pitch:
- Personal information
- Education
- Work experience
- Life experience
- Mentoring skills
ANNEX 3 Mentoree case 1 - 3
Mentoree case 1
Your Mentoree is a young single mother who had to give up on her plans to study to be a nurse after having a child. The education center is in a 35 minute commute distance of her home. But she struggles to find the energy and the funding for going back to nursing school. There are good childcare facilities where she lives, and she has access to help by good friends and parents, but not on a daily basis.
- What is your advice to her?
- How can you activate your own network to help her situation?
- How can you assist her in activating her network?
Mentoree case 2
Your Mentoree is a young man that has finished primary school but have not had further education. He would like a vocational education, but his self-esteem and confidence in his own academic skills is low. He has adopted a lifestyle of using a lot of time in front of the computer, often all night. He finds it difficult to change this on his own. He has access to the proper schools in his town.
- What is your advise to him
- How can to use your own network to help him?
- How can you activate his network to help him?
Mentoree case 3
Your Mentoree is a woman in her mid 30’s. She have been successful in her job healthcare worker at a center for younger patients with psychological disorders. Due to several events in her old work she has been diagnosed with PTSD and stress symptoms. She is now ready to find a new line of work, but still feels the effects of her illness. Her interests are sport and fitness, but she is not sure how to make that into a career.
- What is your advice to her?
- How can you activate your own network to help her situation?
- How can you assist her in activating her network?