Carole Stone, known as 'Britain's Best Connected Woman' for her tens of thousands of contacts, visited the Blavatnik School of Government on 31 January to give a masterclass on the art of networking.
Ms Stone, a successful businesswoman, author and former BBC producer, combined stories from her personal life with practical tips on how to implement what she calls 'good networking'. Good networking, she explained, means following the Golden Rule: 'Treat people as you want to be treated.' And, it means keeping promises: following up is key. You've got to nurture people,' she explained, in good times and bad. Above all, she said, good networking is about listening – and bad networking means only talking to the most important person in the room.
Ms Stone's lecture was followed by a presentation from Jessica Pryce-Jones, the CEO of iOpener, and author of ‘Happiness at Work: Maximizing Your Psychological Capital for Success’. Ms Pryce-Jones discussed how different types of networks can have different impacts, explaining that closed networks mean close relationships and well-coordinated work, but they can also breed envy and mistrust. Conversely, open networks bridge gaps. She encouraged the audience to form as many open networks as possible, as they are especially important for a job search.
After the lectures, students were divided into small groups to focus intensively on networking. Working with a group leader from iOpener, they received individualised feedback on their networking skills, and the first impressions they create. MPP student Peir Wei Chia found the small group sessions especially useful. ‘The networking sessions gave me an insight into the nuts and bolts of networking,’ he said, ‘and it was not just about gaining the knowledge and skills, but putting them into practice as well. I especially appreciated the attention given to individual needs and the personal feedback provided.
Carole Stone is Chair of the Advisory Board of YouGov-Cambridge, a think tank which brings polling experts together with leading academics and their students at Cambridge University to collaborate with opinion-research. She is the author of ‘Networking – the Art of Making Friends’. Jessica Pryce-Jones is the founder and CEO of iOpener, and CEO of the iOpener Institute for People and Performance. She is a frequent speaker and lecturer at business schools and companies around the world.
