All girls together: women in business networks, by Tara Craig, Personnel Today. In the ongoing struggle to reach the top in the male-centric workplace, women's networks are helping them break new ground  Open link...

Someone to Watch over Me, Times Online. It is easy to forget how often people are willing to help, be it clearing snow from a neighbour's path or even stepping in to stop an argument. At work many of us have been helped by older, wiser colleagues, who saw signs of promise that we did not recognise or noticed that we lacked the confidence to fulfil our dreams. They do not expect anything in return, only that you might, in turn, help someone later. Open link...  

Networking tips if you have been made redundant An article by Heather White on We are the City web site - information for today's City Women. Link...   

Networking - how to do it, Elizabeth Harrins' interview with Heather White for A Girl's Guide to Project Management Link...  or subscribe to PM4Girls monthly newsletter and get free copy of the 32-page eBook, Ten Experts Talk, which contains words of wisdom from ten management experts at Link...

Inspiring Women: Corporate Best Practice in Europe, London Business School, Centre for Women in Business. This research describes the initiatives that European companies are taking to inspire women at work. It focuses on the practices and processes that have a gender implication, e.g. those that can have a specific impact on women's experience, or have been designed to address a specific issue that women potentially face.  Link...
For more details about Women in Business: Link...

Innovative Potential: Men and Women in Teams, London Business School, Centre for Women in Business: In companies around the world executives are putting the capacity for innovation top of their strategic agenda. In this research they take a closer look at the role - if any - that gender plays in innovative teams, and make some recommendations about how companies can build and enhance their innovative capacity through team gender composition. Link...
For more details about Women in Business: Link...

Assertiveness and self-confidence: how to help build, boost, and develop self-confidence and assertiveness, Businessballs.com Building self-confidence and assertiveness is probably a lot easier than you think. 'Non-assertive' people (in other words 'normal people') do not generally want to transform into  excessively dominant people. When most people talk about wanting to be more assertive, what they usually really mean is ..... Link...

The Networking Style Questionnaire™ was developed by Smarter Networking to help everyone who needs to network with greater confidence and effectiveness. It takes no more than 10 minutes to complete and gives you immediate access to a comprehensive personal report. This report details what is mostly likely to work for you and how to go about it.

Imagine all the best networkers you have met or known and their knowledge and experience distilled and modified to suit you. Smarter Networking's extensive research into the differing approaches people use when networking have highlighted four distinct networking styles. The NSQ™ will identify which of these styles you prefer and offer approaches to help you. Link to NSQ...

How Leaders Create and Use Networks by Herminia Ibarra and Mark Hunter, Harvard Business Review. Successful leaders have a nose for opportunity and a knack for knowing whom to tap to get things done. These qualities depend on a set of strategic networking skills that nonleaders rarely possess. Open link...

What does a network leader do? by The National College for School Leadership. As part of the Networked Learning Communities (NLC) programme, the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) has been conducting research amongst network leaders and others in leadership and support roles in school networks to find out how they have interpreted their roles. Open link...

Personality theories, types and tests,  Businessball.com Motivation, management, communications, relationships - focused on yourself or others - are a lot more effective when you understand yourself, and the people you seek to motivate, manage, develop or help. When it comes to networking, understanding how to read others is vital. This is great article to understand how the difference preference models work. Link...

The Networking Style Questionnaire™ was developed by Smarter Networking to help everyone who needs to network with greater confidence and effectiveness. It takes no more than 10 minutes to complete and gives you immediate access to a comprehensive personal report. This report details what is mostly likely to work for you and how to go about it.

Imagine all the best networkers you have met or known and their knowledge and experience distilled and modified to suit you. Smarter Networking's extensive research into the differing approaches people use when networking have highlighted four distinct networking styles. The NSQ™ will identify which of these styles you prefer and offer approaches to help you. Link to NSQ...

LinkedIn v Freemasons - Joining the club, Ecomonist.com: French business may be particularly full of networks, but every country has its cliques, whether based on education, social background or spiritual beliefs. In Spain, Italy and Latin America as well as France, businesspeople speak of the influence of Opus Dei, a conservative Catholic lay order which supports a number of business schools. America has its Ivy League alumni groups and Rotary clubs. Chinese businesspeople often rely on guanxi, or personal connections. Link...

Social Networks in Silicon Valley by Mark Granovetter et al, Pp. 218-247  in The Silicon Valley Edge. Stanford University Press, Stanford.: "The most crucial aspect of Silicon Valley is its networks." There is no proposition so universally agreed upon and so little studied. We see two main reasons for this. The first is .... Mark Granovetter is the Joan Butler Ford Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences, Stanford University.  Open link...

Link to his web site: Open link...... 

The Social Networking Guide for Newbies by Karen Post, FastCompany. Don't be left behind. Everybody's doing it: politicians, kids, moms, rock stars, even granny. A mother reads a message from her son in Iraq, a student gets a job with Teach for America, a German rock band receives feedback on a new single, and your niece dumps her boyfriend. What do all of these events have in common? They all took place on a social network. Open link...

Social Networks: Evolution of the Marketing Paradigm by Tony Mackelworth, AMac Ltd. The internet has developed to provide new platforms of interaction and enabled communication between individuals on an unprecedented scale. The online social networks that now connect consumers have provided the individual with extraordinary access to content and information Open link...

Social network analysis by Susannah Patton, CIO. At first glance, it looked like your typical networking event. Three hundred research scientists from packaged-food giant Mars gathered in a Las Vegas ballroom last June, wearing name tags and working the floor. But instead .... Open link...

Crossing the Social Networking Chasm by David Teten and Scott Allen, Fast Company. Simon Rogers has uncovered over 1 million British pounds in potential revenues for his company 2Delta, a reseller specializing in project management software, as a result of his participation in Ecademy, an online networking site. If you are new to professional social sites, this a great article Open link...

Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places by David Teten and Scott Allen, Fast Company. Are you interested in sex? Would you say that publicly? One of the things that has proven most problematic for people to experience -- and most interesting to observe -- as we collectively explore social networking online is the problem of personal and professional boundaries. Open link...

One Person's Networking Is Another's Spam by David Teten and Scott Allen, Fast Company. Is it ethical to add your online social networking connections to your annual holiday update email, your company's monthly newsletter list, or even just to a list of people you routinely contact? Where are the boundaries? How are you supposed to keep in touch with even a few hundred people, much less a few thousand? Open link...

I Am Not a Number! by David Teten and Scott Allen, Fast Company. Have you received one of these lately? Dear FirstName: I have been using YetAnotherSocialNetworkingService to keep track of my professional contacts. Since you and I know each other so well, we should connect and share each other's networks. Open link...

Insider out, fusty old cliques v high-tech communities: it is a closer contest than you think, Economist.com: Old-fashioned networks - alumni associations, social cliques and religious groups-continue to exert a surprisingly powerful influence on business around the world (see article). In French firms, where networks are particularly widespread, outsiders can find themselves struggling to navigate their way among the énarques and polytechniciens from the elite schools, not to mention all those masons.  Link...
 

Losing face - a tale of two airlines and their Facebook fiascos, Economist.com: as well as embracing blogs, firms have been exploiting social networks such as Facebook and MySpace to get their messages to a broader audience. Although they have the potential to be useful marketing tools, such networks can also be a source of damaging publicity, as British Airways (BA) and Virgin Atlantic have discovered to their cost. Link...

Competent Jerks, Lovable Fools, and the Formation of Social Networks by Tiziana Casciaro and Miguel Sousa Lobo, Harvard Business Review. When people need help completing complex projects, they select the colleagues best able to do the job - not just those they like. Right? Wrong. Open link...

How to Build Your Network by Brian Uzzi and Shannon Dunlap, Harvard Business Review. Strong personal networks don't just happen at the water cooler. They have to be carefully constructed. Here's how to strengthen your connections. Open link...

Eight Ways to Build Collaborative Teams: Even the largest and most complex teams can work together effectively if the right conditions are in place. Open link...

The Next Generation of Contact Management Software by David Teten and Scott Allen, Fast Company. Do you use an electronic contact manager? Most people who work in a field that depends on relationships -- salespeople, recruiters,and consultants, for example -- do. People in those professions are starting to use social network software, but the primary portal through which they view their relationships today is their contact manager and their email program. Open link...

Open Doors with B2B Social Networking, by Tom Aley, SVP and Managing Director, Business & Relationship Intelligence, Dow Jones Enterprise Media Group. Find out how social networking technology is changing the business landscape. Discover how you can spot profitable opportunities without endless hours of research and quickly locate the path to the best prospects. As big businesses tighten their belts, sales professionals are finding it harder to close large deals. This report reveals how B2B social networking can open doors and lead to new opportunities. To download the Free E Book visit: Open link... 

How to stay in touch, the follow-up. Ten years later you are having coffee with a close contact of yours and talking about how fortunate it was to have met. Your now friend says, ‘Do you remember that chap who was in our group; you know, the one that was salivating at your feet - horrible sight' You reply, ‘Oh good grief, yes. He took my card; didn't think quickly enough to say I had run out. Anyway, he got in touch the next day, and the next and the next. In fact he's sent me a brochure and a Christmas card every year for the last ten years. I hate that.' Is that what you want people to say about you? What should he have done this other chap? Read on....
Smarter Networking is a subject author for a specialist web site called People Alchemy.

Assertiveness and self-confidence: Businessball.com how to help build, boost, and develop self-confidence and assertiveness. Building self-confidence and assertiveness is probably a lot easier than you think. 'Non-assertive' people (in other words 'normal people') do not generally want to transform into  excessively dominant people. When most people talk about wanting to be more assertive, what they usually really mean is ..... Link...

The Networking Styles Questionnaire^™ was developed by Smarter Networking to help everyone who needs to network with greater confidence and effectiveness. It takes no more than 10 minutes to complete and gives you immediate access to a comprehensive personal report. This report details what is mostly likely to work for you and how to go about it.

Imagine all the best networkers you have met or known and their knowledge and experience distilled and modified to suit you. Smarter Networking's extensive research into the differing approaches people use when networking have highlighted four distinct networking styles. The NSQ^™ will identify which of these styles you prefer and offer approaches to help you. Link to NSQ 

What shall I do with the rest of my life? Defined Purpose has a method and a web-based tool to help people at life crossroads to answer this question. If you:

Feel you have reached a crossroads in your career
Have several career options to consider and are sure which is ‘right' one for you

Face redundancy (or you may even have been made redundant recently)
Have major decisions to make regarding your personal life.

Then visit their website. Link...

Assertiveness and self-confidence: how to help build, boost, and develop self-confidence and assertiveness. Building self-confidence and assertiveness is probably a lot easier than you think. 'Non-assertive' people (in other words 'normal people') do not generally want to transform into excessively dominant people. When most people talk about wanting to be more assertive, what they usually really mean is ..... Link...

The Networking Style Questionnaire™ was developed by Smarter Networking to help everyone who needs to network with greater confidence and effectiveness. It takes no more than 10 minutes to complete and gives you immediate access to a comprehensive personal report. This report details what is mostly likely to work for you and how to go about it.

Imagine all the best networkers you have met or known and their knowledge and experience distilled and modified to suit you. Smarter Networking's extensive research into the differing approaches people use when networking have highlighted four distinct networking styles. The NSQ™ will identify which of these styles you prefer and offer approaches to help you. Link ...

How to Network for HR professionals, www.PerosnnelToday.com: HR needs to come out of the closet and raise its profile - networking can help it to achieve this both inside and outside of the company....Heather White says... Link...

Networking Tip for HR Professionals, London HR Connection, a networking forum for HR professionals. Heather White, ex Chair of London HR Connections Link...

A collection of great articles on talent development: While finding quality talent for your team is an arduous task, keeping them happy and developing their skills is a far more challenging endeavour. Here's a collection of FastCompany best articles on getting the most out of your people and your organization. Link...

The Reflexive Generation: Young Professionals' Perspectives on Work, Career and Gender, London Business School, Centre for Women in Business: Organisations know they do not yet understand the needs and perspectives of Generation Y and need to know how this generation can be managed. In a time when old structures like jobs for life are breaking down or disappearing for good the individual is increasingly in charge of shaping his or her own career, skill set and financial planning. In this research we find that Generation Y are in a 'feedback loop' where their past influences their present and future experiences. The 'feedback loop' allows them to re-invent themselves. Consequently we have called them the "Reflexive Generation". Link...
For more details: Link... 

The Networking Style Questionnaire^™ was developed by Smarter Networking to help everyone who needs to network with greater confidence and effectiveness. It takes no more than 10 minutes to complete and gives you immediate access to a comprehensive personal report. This report details what is mostly likely to work for you and how to go about it.

Imagine all the best networkers you have met or known and their knowledge and experience distilled and modified to suit you. Smarter Networking's extensive research into the differing approaches people use when networking have highlighted four distinct networking styles. The NSQ^™ will identify which of these styles you prefer and offer approaches to help you. Link... 

The acronym for Working a Room is WaR! and for many people it feels like that. They put on their face mask, head down and jump into a crowded room. How to Work a Room is one of the biggest concerns people have when it comes to networking. Companies require their employees to be able to host and attend events professionally. These events are big investments aimed at raising visibility and building the right relationships and thereby increasing business. However these objectives can be thwarted if their employees are shy, introverted, too busy, lack confidence with senior executives, huddle together rather than circulate effectively or are simply unable to create or engage in conversation. Link to eBook.

The Networking Style Questionnaire^™ was developed by Smarter Networking to help everyone who needs to network with greater confidence and effectiveness. It takes no more than 10 minutes to complete and gives you immediate access to a comprehensive personal report. This report details what is mostly likely to work for you and how to go about it.

Imagine all the best networkers you have met or known and their knowledge and experience distilled and modified to suit you. Smarter Networking's  extensive research into the differing approaches people use when networking have highlighted four distinct networking styles. The NSQ^™ will identify which of these styles you prefer and offer approaches to help you. Link... 

How to stay in touch, the follow-up. Ten years later you are having coffee with a close contact of yours and talking about how fortunate it was to have met. Your now friend says, ‘Do you remember that chap who was in our group; you know, the one that was salivating at your feet - horrible sight' You reply, ‘Oh good grief, yes. He took my card; didn't think quickly enough to say I had run out. Anyway, he got in touch the next day, and the next and the next. In fact he's sent me a brochure and a Christmas card every year for the last ten years. I hate that.' Is that what you want people to say about you? What should he have done this other chap? Read on....
Smarter Networking is a subject author for a specialist web site called People Alchemy.

Marketing Donut

This is brilliant site for anyone who is running their own business and needs advise and thoughts on everything to do with Sales & Marketing...and it is totally FREE. You will find a lot of advice on how to network - just follow the links below:

1. Networking is important for small businesses. Face-to-face communication can help you forge productive relationships with key people. Over time, these contacts can become powerful advocates that actively support and promote your business. Link...

2. What is networking? Heather White of Smarter Networking explains what networking is - and isn't - and how to set the foundations to success. Let's define networking in a nutshell: it's a business and personal marketing tool that will deliver your overall business and marketing strategy. Link...

3. Create a team networking culture. Good networking generates sales leads and contacts who can help you develop your business. But how do you get your employees to network effectively? Link...

 4. Improve your soft skills for better networking. The idea of networking fills some people with fear while others think they're great at working a room. But what are the skills you need to be a good networker? And how can you improve your performance? Link... 

5. Case study: how networking benefits my business Link...

6. Benefit from networking. Networking is the art of forming and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with others who are linked to your career, sector, market, region or specific interest. To maximise your benefits you need to be active in sharing your experience, knowledge and contacts with other network members. In the same way you gain from your relationship with them. Link...

7. What's your personal brand? An essential part of networking is to be memorable - for the right reasons. This means recognising and developing your 'personal brand' so that you can network effectively, says Stephanie Peckham, of business relationship experts Smarter Networking. Link...

Pipex Business free business advise for business owners.

What is networking? Ask the expert, Heather White Networking Architect,

                author and speaker Link...

How to follow up after networking? Ask the expert, Heather White

 Networking Architect, author and speaker Link...

How to find time for networking? Ask the expert, Heather White Networking

                 Architect, author and speaker Link...

How to Build a Network for Entrepreneurs, Growing Business Online interviews Heather White Networking Architect, author and speaker about.  Link...

The Networking Style Questionnaire^™ was developed by Smarter Networking to help everyone who needs to network with greater confidence and effectiveness. It takes no more than 10 minutes to complete and gives you immediate access to a comprehensive personal report. This report details what is mostly likely to work for you and how to go about it.

Imagine all the best networkers you have met or known and their knowledge and experience distilled and modified to suit you. Smarter Networking's extensive research into the differing approaches people use when networking have highlighted four distinct networking styles. The NSQ^™ will identify which of these styles you prefer and offer approaches to help you. Link....

Internal Communications market: The VMA Group surveyed over 1,000 candidates and clients from a wide variety of industry backgrounds on the current status of the Internal Communications market.  The aim of the survey was to identify key trends in the profession, focusing on salaries benchmarks, skills required and team structures as well as future challenges for the internal communicator. Download...

A snapshot survey of 1,000 PR professionals in the public and not-for-profit sectors has revealed a high level of job satisfaction. This is despite increased pressure on communications departments to provide more results on a tighter budget.  According to VMA Selection’s 2009 Trends in Public Sector and Not-for-Profit Communications, nearly four fifths of respondents expressed job satisfaction, despite the fact that two thirds of communications professionals in the two sectors, expect budgets to be cut during the next year. Download...

The Interim Communications Market:  VMA Selection has carried out an extensive temperature check of the interim market and the results show positive news for the communications market.  VMA’s Interim Practice has undertaken a series of surveys to track the interim communications market over the past 5 months, and according to the findings, interim management continues to hold up well.  Download...

Crafting a Message that Sticks - an interview with Chip Heath by Lenny T. Mendonca and Matt Miller, McKinsey Quarterly. Leaders must communicate increasingly complex messages to increasingly fragmented audiences that not only include investors and employees but also broader social groups. Chip Heath is a professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business explains how executives can make their messages stick. Open link...

The 60 Second Pitch, Business week. At a contest to teach budding entrepreneurs how to sell their business ideas in a minute, competitors learn the value of speed—and magic. Donald Trump said make it "enthusiastic, succinct and ..."  Open link...

If so, Heather White, Networking Architect, has written 5 very practical articles advising budding political candidates on how to achieve results through trusted relationships for the Conservative Home web site. This advice is however appropriate for anyone regardless of your political allegiance.  

Developing a networking strategy

Making a good impression with people that matter

Vying for selection and dealing with rival candidates

Networking in your constituency

Party Conference survival guide