Question

Management at Work

Imagine that you have been a production operator manager for two years at a large gas distribution company. Recently, your director told you that the company is planning a large restructure, but that your department will not lose any employees. You decide that you need to use personal communication techniques to reach out to the people on your team and convince them that they are safe and they need to maintain their productivity levels for the upcoming year.

Fortunately, you have a large personal network of diverse contacts both inside and outside the company. But you know that some of your employees have much smaller networks, and you worry that they will not have the contacts they need in order to get a good perspective on the restructuring. Which of the following pieces of advice should you give to your employees to help them build their networks?

CHECK ALL THAT APPLY
- Make sure that when you build your network, you don’t always expect your contacts to be giving to you. You have to give as well as receive in order for a network to be effective.
- You’re going to have a hard time building a network that you can use to support you through this restructuring, but start now to build your network before you need it the next time.
- Reach out to people and do as many activities as you can with them. Try to fill your calendar so that you connect with as many people as possible.
- Try to fill your network with people who are very similar to you, preferably people who do the same kind of work you do and people who have non-work backgrounds similar to yours. This will make it easier to develop relationships with them.

Answer 1

✔ Make sure that when you build your network, you don’t always expect your contacts to be giving to you. You have to give as well as receive in order for a network to be effective.

✔ You’re going to have a hard time building a network that you can use to support you through this restructuring, but start now to build your network before you need it the next time.

✔ Reach out to people and do as many activities as you can with them. Try to fill your calendar so that you connect with as many people as possible.

✘ Try to fill your network with people who are very similar to you, preferably people who do the same kind of work you do and people who have non-work backgrounds similar to yours. This will make it easier to develop relationships with them.