The Art of Networking
Networking is an art. It does not matter in which professional you find yourself in, it is necessary
to grasp the soft skills of building a network of personalities who enhance your presence in your
industry. Whether you carry the energy and light that charms every room, or you are a quiet
‘church mouse’, there is no excuse for not having networking skills as they are the fulcrum that
can easily catapult you to another stage of your professional career. In the communications and public relations profession, networking is highly essential not only the reason behind it but also the way it is done. The Meriam Webster Dictionary defines it as “the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions”. Corporate entities, political parties, sports organizations, churches and even large families go to great lengths to ensure that the art of networking takes place regularly, effectively to achieve their respective goals. A lot of financial resources and planning goes into the operations of this art. These resources go into the printing of business cards, the organising of events, the purchasing of
food and drinks and the hiring and training of welcoming staff.
For public relations networking is key as part of the trade includes dealing and relating with key stakeholders.
It is up to every aspiring and current public relations officer or communications officer to ensure that they are equipped with the right skills to network. One would refer to this as “art school”. At this art school, it is the officer’s responsibility to get acquainted with a good art teacher, this would be their mentor. As they network along with them, they can learn from observation the type of tools they use – this would be dubbed as the type of paint and brushes for the art of networking. To commence networking, it starts with networking at the inception phase.
These tools range from a varied range of communication skills, learned over time that develop a tact and build lasting symbiotic relationships. Anyone who is willing to capacitate themselves with tools of networking can also sign up to. Events where one can learn from industry experts in a practical way. Hundreds of thousands have opted for this route signing up for events like TEDx to mention a few. Living in a digital age, everything is at our fingertips. One can get all you need online, from live and on YouTube. You may ask what the benefits of networking are. The more people you know who are influential, it does create a path for you to gain knowledge and knowledge is power. This knowledge is a gamechanger in getting ahead of your peers in climbing the corporate ladder or getting closer to the right people, whether it is investors, financiers, stakeholders, partners, supporters, sympathisers, voters and many others.
As a public relations officer, the repercussions of not polishing your networking skills can be detrimental not only to you but to the organization that you represent. Being unable to build from media partners that you can put on a database is public relations officer (PRO) suicide. Media partners are the ones who can help you disseminate crucial information when you are dealing with crisis management through press statements or giving them a chance to ask questions and clarify critical issues during press conferences. It also helps to be able to be in constant contact with the media, so that you, as the public relations officer as accessible to answer any Whatsapps, emails and calls. This enables misconceptions to be dealt with swiftly and prevent the public from jumping to conclusions on public relations matters.
Being unable to build a network of stakeholders in the public sector prevents you as a PRO to have financial partners to boost your corporate social responsibility campaigns that you need to enhance the brand and mandate of the organization that you present. In essence, networking is an art. It is something that takes practise and public relations practitioners and communications officers can use this to gather, maintain and fully utilize their network to build relationships which enhance the company by serving them and dealing with any crisis that may arise. This art is not optional, it is the fulcrum that can decide the organisation and
brand’s position, leveraging it to better public perception if used effectively or leaving it with
lasting repercussions.
