Pexels

Networking for No Reason

Duncan Riach

--

I usually have one-on-one lunch meetings booked for weeks, if not months, into the future. Most of the people I have lunch with work at the same company as me, but sometimes I invite people from outside the company to meet with me at work. Sometimes I travel to meet people elsewhere.

I don’t just meet for lunch; I also have random one-on-one meetings with people at other times during the day, often for thirty minutes or so. I meet with people from across the company, not just from my group. I also regularly schedule in-person or Skype sessions with friends from around the world.

I’m not doing this because I’m a manager; I’m currently an individual contributor. I’m not doing this to get anything other than to ask questions and listen. I do it because I love people and I want to spend time with them. Being in a company with thousands of employees is a massive opportunity. I get to learn about what others are doing, what their experience of working at the company is like, and how they might be struggling or thriving.

I get to build a network of people who are my friends who I see every day. As I walk around the buildings, I see people and wave to them and say hi. I know who they are, what they’re doing, and what they’re about. I feel at home; I feel comfortable.

--

--

Duncan Riach

Top Writer. Self-Revealing. Mental Health. Success. Fulfillment. Flow. MS Engineering/Technology. PhD Psychology. duncanriach.com