Why is networking so awful?

You know you ‘should’ network the expo (bleugh) but ‘checking messages’ (we all know we’re doom scrolling) is far more comfortable than that cringeworthy and clunky opening line with a stranger.

Business leaders recognise that talking to strangers is not only a vital leadership skill which benefits their organisation, academics now know it’s also important for your wellbeing. So, we need to talk about better networking and plucking up the courage to talk to strangers - you're not coming to The Meetings Show to watch the latest TikTok dance.

What helps encourage better networking?

Choose venues with good meeting rooms AND great networking spaces where delegates want to spend time. Good F&B helps, so does a great view, a breath of fresh air and space to move freely around. 

Next, protect the ‘in between times’ in the agenda (fight for them if needed). Done well, breaks, lunches and post-event socialising aren’t tumbleweed awkwardness-fests, instead they are the time when your culture buzzes and your strategy manifests. Although “culture might eat strategy for breakfast”, both can be brutally spat out over coffee.

Next, equip everyone with the skills and permission to network. Networking is easy for those it comes naturally to - for the rest of us, it might as well be rocket science. However, science can help. Five handy and memorable pointers can change your experience, making it easier to strike up conversation, get out of it what you need, avoid being inadvertently rude, secure meaningful contacts and - equally importantly - help you move on to the next conversation without feeling like you’ve offended. 

Getting conversations going is not just about networking for business opportunities, it’s also important for mental health. With 91% of UK adults having experienced high or extreme stress in the past year, ‘what to do about burnout’ has become a leadership challenge. Many of us have a reluctance to speak up about workload stress, money worries, loneliness, boss issues and job security fears, which exacerbates burnout risk. Talking about what you're feeling and noticing is often hard and uncomfortable, yet much needed. 

Which is why, in the Blank Canvas tent, we’ll attack the serious topic of burning out with sequins, bingo dabbers and (if you’re lucky) prizes. The whole aim is to get the conversation started. Sometimes the most difficult topics and the most hard-to-reach delegates need something less worthy to help the penny drop.

Come and join me for some ‘no cringe networking’ on the 23 June and the silliest wellbeing session you’ve ever attended on the 24th. 

See you at The Meetings Show. 

Gerrie Hawes is a Corporate Behavioural Psychologist specialising in leadership, meetings and events.
www.remotelyhuman.co.uk