Colin Gautrey

Mapping Your Network

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There are two ways to start analysing your networking. The first is to consider all the different groups of people who could play a part in achieving your purpose. It is important not to name people at this stage so that you can keep an open mind to new connections. Take a step forward in time and imagine you have arrived. What sort of people would have been helpful in your journey? The diagram below is an illustration of how you could draw this out. In this example, becoming recognised within the industry could be helped by media editors. Editors like writing about movers and shakers in their industry. They also like to receive free Read More

Developing the Right Networks

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Network Map Having a strong and vibrant network brings access to resources, political intelligence, friendly support and, frankly, enjoyable and rewarding relationships. In many ways, success is likely to be short-lived if you have not got the support of a network around you. The actual activity of networking is really about using your social skills to make new connections, contacts and friends. It is about moving these new relationships from the initial connection (either through work or at an event) into a more rewarding longer-term personal relationship. Many books have been written on the subject. These mainly focus on the interpersonal activities and how to find opportunities to build connections. What most of them miss is Read More

How to Discover New Ways to Influence Stubborn Stakeholders

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If you want to influence a stakeholder who is resistant to your proposal, and you have already tried everything you can think of, try this...
  1. Clarify exactly what you want them to agree to (how you want them to do, think, feel or believe etc.)
  2. Select 5 to 10 people in your network whom you trust and who also know the stakeholder you are seeking to influence. Read More

Hate Networking? You Are Not Alone!

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Since launching the original research and questionnaire on influencing skills, we have had thousands of people self-assess or rate others on their influencing skills. 74% say they could improve on their networking and an incredible 34% cited it as their weakest influencing skill area. So, if you don’t like going to those ‘events’ or fabricating an excuse to go talk to someone while you have more important tasks to focus on, you are by no means alone! In my experience, I believe that most people have the capability to network, but lack the motivation to do it. They either see it as a pointless activity or a contrived engagement which lacks authenticity (or legitimacy, or both). Despite the pressure from above to network Read More

Networking: Missing a Trick?

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Networking is a critical aspect of influencing skill. In our workshops, we find all manner of excuses thrown up, but having a vibrant network is vital to success in the long term (and the short term). Yet despite all the noise on the subject, in the press, in training programmes and on the bookshelves, I think something is missing — the focus on motivating people to want to do it! Research (from our Influencing Skills 360°) shows that people think the individuals they are scoring are pretty relaxed and effective at networking events. They even believe that those people are quite strategic about the way they do things. However, self-rating shows a different story. Most people feel uncomfortable, ineffective and that being strategic is almost a non-starter. Indeed, these items show the biggest perceptual difference out of all 42 skills we assess! Read More

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