Relationship [definition]: the way in which two or more people or things are connected.
Abraham Maslow theorised that in order to self-actualise, we must fulfil physical, psychological and self-fulfilment needs. Relationships belong in the psychological need category. As humans we have an inherent need to belong to groups, to seek out and build relationships, to feel part of something more, something bigger.
In business, we nurture relationships to achieve performance goals and strategic objectives. Collaboration and co-operation are at their most effective when there is rapport, trust and good communication. This is true both internally and external to the business and can bring benefits such as staff loyalty, employee satisfaction, high performance, motivation, and innovation, which in turn translates to customer satisfaction.
Internal networking is about looking outside your normal and immediate day-to-day working life and actively seeking out connections to create further value. Those who network internally are generally and primarily looking to benefit all, including the company. They are paying attention to what is going on within the entire organisation and not just their own sphere of influence.
Until this year, and before the coronavirus pandemic took hold across the globe, internal networking was a passing conversation in the corridor or a chat at the coffee machine, as well as more formal mechanisms. There are undoubted benefits from the internal relationships built up through natural physical interaction.
For those who are obliged to work from home, there is a risk that the opportunities and benefits from internal networking will all but die out. Are we at risk of eliminating organic internal relationships as we shift to a remote working life? If we have built up “credit” to date, how long will that last? What will be the decline in productivity, innovation or collaboration, and how long will it take to see the effects? Business leaders need to consider how to address this issue and adapt, fast.
If internal networking is about employees deliberately going out of their way to seek out new connections for the betterment of the whole organisation, then this must be made easier in a virtual working world.
One option might be to re-invent the intranet. There is always a vast amount of information available but only if you have the inclination to research and know what you are looking for. The point of organic relationship building is that you don’t always know what you don’t know, or to put it another way, you don’t know who you don’t know.
Virtual coffee stops might be a useful feature to allow those looking for opportunities to meet others in a less corporate or formal space. Like the chat functions used today, people could be available for informal more relaxed conversations when taking a break from work.
Internal networking however is not only up to leadership, it is up to each of us to understand where we go from here. How do we maintain and grow those internal networks in a business model that does not allow us much physical contact? It is not practical or enjoyable to spend each and every day tied to a desk at home without those natural and relaxed interactions. So, we need to consider changes in our day to day. Perhaps thinking about the relationships we have created in the past and how those were formed. It might be meeting someone on the commute to work, passing conversations in the corridor, in the lift or in the coffee shop queue.
We need to think about what was it that made the forming of the relationship beneficial, and how we might achieve the same benefit by using a different approach. It may be taking more time to read the corporate news for insight or in virtual meetings paying more attention to those you haven’t met before. We may have lost that opportunity for face to face contact and more natural introductions, however, adaptability and agility are key skills that leaders need to demonstrate to get us through this.
Those individuals who recognise and take steps to tackle the changing landscape will not only benefit personally but will be seen clearly as progressive leaders, leading us beyond the coffee break credit.
