netlogx organized several networking exercises during a recent two-day Team Building event. This provided a great opportunity to meet and build professional relationships with team members that work on many projects in various states.
Thursday morning started with a very enthusiastic (exaggeratedly so), Jeannie Phillips, saying “Hello, my name is…” as she approached individuals as they entered the room. She introduced herself, shook hands and handed everyone her card prior to the session. The topic of this session was “Networking 101: Schmooze Don’t Lose” and discussed the Do’s and Don’ts of networking. Jeannie demonstrated a “Don’t” by being too enthusiastic. Another “Don’t” was counting network contacts by the number of cards she handed out. The “Do” of networking would be to have a natural conversation. Conversations enable the participants to get to know each other and find commonalities on which to build a professional relationship. Another “Do” was to give contacts your card only after asking for and receiving their permission to do so. More “Do’s” and “Don’ts” were emphasized and discussed through skits, demonstrating approaches and appropriate conversations for making contacts.
Another session was the Dragons’ Den team building activity. Teams formulated plans to promote netlogx and benefits to the community. They pitched those plans to the “Dragons”, Audrey and Nick Taylor. Team members worked together to create their pitches. This activity provided team members the chance to work with team members they hadn’t met before or with whom they had limited contact, providing another networking opportunity.
Friday evening, we were treated to a lovely dinner at a local restaurant. The table setup allowed 8 people to a table. As team members and their guests arrived, they joined others at already occupied tables, instead of sitting at unoccupied tables or only sitting by those they know. This provided a good mix of people from all projects and positions. Conversations ranged from likes, dislikes, hobbies, families, backgrounds and projects. Professional relationships were built and strengthened.
Thank you for the opportunity to network with fellow team members at the two-day Team Building events, along with their guests at the after-work parties.
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