| Although there are any number of different | | | | start at 7.30 and finish by 8.45. This allows people to |
| networking groups and events you can attend, some | | | | meet, ask the CEO questions and get involved in |
| of the best networking can occur within your | | | | discussions.Seek out (or start) a mentor program. |
| organisation. To build your profile and reputation | | | | Identify people you would like to learn from within |
| internally and understand "who's who in the zoo" it is | | | | the organisation and approach them about being |
| worth investing time to get to know the people | | | | mentored for 6 months. If your organisation already |
| around you. Here are some suggestions of activities | | | | has a mentoring program, sign up and get |
| you could try to boost your internal networking | | | | involved.Write for the company newsletter. Offer to |
| skills.Volunteer for the social committee. Every | | | | provide articles or updates for the internal newsletter. |
| business (large or small) has a social committee | | | | This is a great way to work with the production |
| (sometimes is it informal) designed to create fun | | | | team (who are often volunteers looking for content |
| activities to get to know co-workers. Invest some of | | | | for the newsletter).Get involved in a charity. Select a |
| your time to help the team create some fun and | | | | deserving charity and organise events within the |
| energy in your workplace. Organise a variety of | | | | company to raise money for them. Your company |
| events - some costing money, others that are free, | | | | may already have a chosen charity, if so; invite |
| some that include family members or partners and | | | | someone from the organisation to update your |
| some that involved outside activity i.e. company picnic | | | | colleagues on suggestions of how you can help even |
| - you can all meet in a park, take your own food, | | | | more. This can be a fun way to help others and also |
| provide sports equipment and plan to have fun. This | | | | help you get to know those you work with. Make it |
| activity also allows others to meet your extended | | | | an annual event if it is something special i.e. red nose |
| family and help learn more about you. If you want to | | | | day or Daffodil day.Hold a 'brown bag' seminar at |
| keep it strictly to those you work with, organise an | | | | lunchtime. Invite everyone to bring his or her own |
| event where you can meet people during the week | | | | lunch; you can invite a speaker to provide information |
| and participate in an activity i.e. ten pin bowling or the | | | | to the team. The topics might be relevant to them |
| movies. By choosing a week night it means people | | | | for outside life i.e. health, fitness, family or some way |
| are not giving up their weekend. At Christmas hold an | | | | to add value to the people you work with. The |
| event to help a charity by collecting gifts or tinned | | | | topics can come from our colleagues - ask them for |
| food to donate to the needy.Arrange a Lunchtime | | | | suggestions. You can hold these on a monthly basis |
| self-development session. Determine a topic you and | | | | and allow time within the agenda to meet at least |
| your colleagues would be interested in, then simply | | | | two other people from other departments. Advertise |
| invite someone into your organisation to give a brief | | | | it on the notice boards, email and in the bathrooms |
| presentation allowing time for questions and answers. | | | | (you would be surprised how many people read |
| You don't need to pay this person; they may be an | | | | information in the bathrooms).Organise cross-function |
| internal expert you invite. Choose someone who is an | | | | team events. Get to know other teams within the |
| expert in his or her topic area. When organising the | | | | business by holding a morning tea and asking the |
| meeting, set up the agenda so that there is time | | | | other team to explain what they do within the |
| when people arrive to meet each other, allow 20 | | | | business and the challenges they face, and then you |
| minutes for the presentation, 10 minutes for | | | | do the same. This is a great way to find about |
| questions and a few minutes at the end to continue | | | | others and also share what you are working on.Start |
| chatting to co-workers.Start Friday night drinks after | | | | a book club. Find a few people who are interested in |
| work. Suggest your team finish at 5.00 on Friday | | | | similar books to you, set yourself a book to read |
| afternoon and all meet at a local bar or café. | | | | every two months. If it is an Australian author, invite |
| Invite other teams that you work with to join you. | | | | them to join you at one of your meetings to explain |
| Meet from 5.00 - 6.00 PM so it isn't a late night and | | | | more about the book and why it was written. Most |
| still allows people to meet other Friday evening | | | | authors love to meet their readers. When you get |
| commitments. Pick a central location close to the | | | | together, chat about what you learnt from the book, |
| office and make it a regular event. After a month it | | | | what your opinions are on the writing style and what |
| will gain momentum and people will know you are | | | | you liked most about the book.Get in a project team. |
| there and will join you when they leave the | | | | Seek opportunities to work on projects within your |
| office.Organise a lunchtime sports team. This is a | | | | team and with other departments. Ensure you have |
| great way to build teamwork internally and also get | | | | your manager's permission to be involved. This is a |
| to know people from other areas within the | | | | great way to network and learn from others.Offer |
| organisation. Put up a notice or send an email asking | | | | to be the MC. If you have a conference or event, |
| for interested parties and then form a team i.e. | | | | offer your services to be the master (or mistress) |
| basketball, football, tennis, soccer team are all fun | | | | of ceremonies. This will help you meet other people |
| and easy to organise. Find an oval, park or gym close | | | | within the organisation, external experts that might |
| to the office you can use and set a regular time and | | | | be invited as part of the event and also help profile |
| day each week to meet. This is a great way to also | | | | your skills.Provide your business card to co-workers. |
| get fresh air and exercise while networking. You | | | | When you meet someone from another department |
| might even like to get everyone to contribute some | | | | always offer your card. This will give them your |
| funds and organise team t-shirts to wear, your | | | | contact information if they want to contact you |
| organisation may even have some you can use!Hold a | | | | again.Make the most of getting to know those you |
| quarterly breakfast forum and invite the CEO. Make | | | | work with, take time to learn what they do and how |
| an appointment with your CEO's Personal Assistant | | | | you can work together to achieve your goals.Neen is |
| and advise them you would like to invite the CEO to | | | | a Global Productivity Expert: by looking at how they |
| a quarterly breakfast where they can meet the | | | | spend their time and energy - and where they focus |
| team and also answer questions they might have. | | | | their attention - Neen helps people to rocket-charge |
| Once you get approval from the PA, book the next | | | | their productivity and performance. A dynamic |
| quarter's date and find a suitable venue (preferably | | | | speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen |
| close to the office). Each person pays for their own | | | | demonstrates how boosting your productivity can |
| breakfast so it doesn't cost the company any | | | | help you achieve amazing things. With her unique |
| money. Make arrangements with a café close | | | | voice, sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, |
| to the office or in-house catering if you have it, and | | | | Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. |