[MUSIC] For all of us, our lives are about making connections. Whether that's in a personal context or in a professional context. And certainly in a professional context, so in an organization environment. It is really important we think about the concept of networking, the need to make connections, and what benefits making these connections can bring for you. Or conversely, what risks you take if you don't network. I know from my own experience the importance of networking or not networking. Without doubt, when I worked for an organization, I felt and looked back reflectively, and probably still do feel un balanced. The most important thing that I needed to do was to deliver on behalf of the units that I had responsibility for to the very best that we could do. I didn't do much networking when I worked for an organization. I looked back at some of my colleagues and they were really good networkers, they were always on the phone. They were always on fire start to keep people on the organization. And I look back and I think, well, you know? I'm not quite sure why that was so important and yet, I look back and think, do you know, they knew about key things before I did because I wasn't thinking about them. I was thinking about what I was primarily responsible for. And I put the people that I was responsible for right at the top of my list. However, now moving on, and I run my own consultancy, I know if I don't network, then whenever that point comes, I don't have a consultancy, because I have to keep making connections. The way in which I look at this important role that we have, to network, changed completely. I look back and think, it was really important to have done it with hindsight, when I worked for an organization. Today I know it's a must. We're now going to explore how networking works In a number of different organizational situations. And we're going to have a chat with Dr Mary. And we're going to explore with her different ways in which she needs to network to make the various spans of responsibility that she has work to really good effect. So, Mary, how do you network in the various situations that you have responsibility for? >> So [COUGH] I think networking happens at all sorts of different levels. So, for me, responsible for the international programs of the University of London I see networking as something that needs to happen within our organization. It's important to actually spend a little bit of time, and I would call it networking, with my own staff. We've got a large team and it's important to just spend a little bit of time, wandering around, having chats. And just spending that time getting to know at some levels, the staff that one is working with. It would be very easy to have a completely distant relationship in my role, from the 260 staff that we've got. At the same time there is an important other networking world which is the Central University of London. And I interact with the other senior managers but also colleagues in the various central academic departments of the university, and the central professional bodies of the university. So I spend time there. And we have all-staff meetings, we have all-staff events. And I will spend time just simply chatting to people when the opportunity arises. And it is to my mind, essential that I do that. But then we also have the whole of the federation of the University of London. There are academic institutions that belong to that federation, and it's important that I am involved in networking with colleagues in those institutions. And we have various events that I must go to and will choose to go to, to spend time just being available to and meeting with heads of institutions, for example. Then moving on from that, there are other universities in London that I have good links with and will spend time just keeping those links alive. At the same time, we have a network of teaching institutions who are involved in delivering programs for the University of London. And a lot of my role is going to visit those institutions for official events, or to visit them because I happen to be in the country at the same time. So again, networking with people in those institutions. And we have events back in London where they come to us. So spending time interacting with them. But there are other arenas for networking, and those will be in country, regulators in country, senior officials. Rules in the countries where we work. We spend a lot of time interacting with British Council for example, who will facilitate introductions very often to people in country. And building our relationships with the in country regulators who are very important to us. We have then, of course, the whole student body. >> Right. >> And the whole student body is perhaps our most important networking group, the active student body. And that's difficult for us because they're overseas or they're at a distance in the UK. And opportunities where we can come together can be really wonderful. So we have events in the UK and events overseas, where we actually get to meet our students. And that for me, having been a teacher and then a lecturer, is a lovely opportunity, it’s very, very important and very valuable. And then also our alumni. That whole huge body of people who've done our degrees and to have a fondness for a loyalty to and are really important to us to keep that sense of the family of the University of London alive. So it's networking on all different levels, and it's really important. >> We've heard a number of different scenarios that Mary has shared with us. And it seems we can draw some common threads through all of them. One, which applied right away to through every example that Mary gave to us. And that is about visibility. If you're not visible then you're not able to network any level at all. And so for example Mary gave us the situation where she walks the floor, goes out to see the people that she works within has that visibility has those conversations. But at the other extreme Mary shared with us examples of global events perhaps for students or for the alumni, to get other key stakeholders together for networking. There are also elements of informal networking, formal networking, almost less essential and I use my words really carefully not non-essential, less essential. Essential and vital networking. Because Mary has said several times that we're networking all the time at several different levels. So what that means, you don't have any linear processes, it's about formal, informal, less essential, essential, vital. It can be internal networking, it can be external networking, it can be UK based networking, it can be global networking. So we have a complex set of dynamics again. So how do you prioritize who you network with and when? >> So, I'm not the only person that does the networking. >> Right. >> It couldn't happen, it would be impossible. And again, I've talked at other times about the directorates, the structure that we have, and different directorates who look after different parts of our map if you like, our network map. And so, this morning we've had an invitation from, Body overseas, to attend a lunch. It is essential that we're there, I have been invited. As it happens, I must attend a governance meeting which is absolutely essential internal governance meeting for a program. So I will not go to the lunch, but our director of global engagement will go to that lunch. >> Right. >> So we will look at these things together and make decisions about somebody going. And delegating, deputizing somebody to go to these sorts of events. And we can share that. We have two colleagues overseas in the last week travelling in different countries following up on relationships and building. The important thing. If somebody else is doing it, is it they feedback. And that we feed back to each other so that we all know at all times what is going on, and we keep a bank of information. >> Right. >> And the information about where relationships have been built. How we're managing customer relations, how we're managing stakeholder relations, how we're managing Inter-relations with the different groups. >> So, as well as we heard a little earlier, networking involving a whole different range of dynamics and possible scenarios, we've also heard from Mary just now. The importance of sharing that responsibility, and it may well be as you, point-of-contact, if you are the point-of-contact to be networked with, that you can't go. That doesn't mean networking can't happen. Somebody else could go on your behalf. But what of course that then means is that everybody is clear about what's going on, why, and there is a really good process of communication. So that everybody is kept in that networking loop. There will also be times and Mary gave us the example of the dinner that she was invited to, but then you need to prioritize where your network. Because none of us can be in more than one place at any one point in time. So, there will be an element where you need to prioritize who you network with and what will be the consequences if you weren't there. Maybe none, maybe some, which means you might need to send somebody else there instead. So, what we're learning about networking, Is a whole number of things. Firstly, that without doubt, it's essential, secondly, it can be really informal by being visible on your shop floor. To the people that you work with rather than being stand back, stand alone. Which means you're fostering collaborative relationships internally. It can be formal in terms of there is a process that goes with it and there needs to be a way of tracking those processes. It can be less essential and who actually falls into those less essential categories may vary from time to time. It can become more essential and it can become vital. Examples of vital networking could be with regulators, it could be with government bodies. It could be with student communities. It will vary all of the time. Networking can also be global, it can be local, it can be regional, it can be from time to time and it can be consistent. So, where does that take us as we reach the concluding stages of this interview. It means for each of us, we need to be really aware of what a network is, what it can do for us, and what responsibilities we have to foster that networking community. It means for each of us, we need to understand where we need to have visibility in an informal sense. And where we need to have visibility and constructive visibility in a more formal sense. It means for each of you and for Mary and I where we need to network because we absolutely have to network because if we don't there will be serious consequences. And it also means we need to have a constant plan that will continually evolve about who we network with first, second, third, fourth and that will constantly, constantly change. So Mary thank you for sharing some of your experiences about networking with us. Thank you. [MUSIC]
