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Building a professional network is typically the last thing on the mind of a busy workforce planning professional. In fact, it frequently does not even make the shortlist. It is, nevertheless, arguably one of the most significant aspects of having a successful analyst career.
Having a strong professional network is a powerful notion; it has undoubtedly benefitted me in my career, not only in terms of finding my next job but also as a source of useful knowledge that has helped me solve a problem that would have otherwise put me back days, weeks, or months.
In reality, my motivation for producing blog pieces, contributing to Linkedin groups, and generally wanting to help any workforce planning expert who approaches me with a problem comes from “Best Practice Sharing” and what I learn from talking shop with fellow planning professionals.
Sharing best practices and learning from others within my professional network has assisted me in identifying and filling knowledge gaps, generating new and inventive ideas, enabling improved decision making, and increasing my productivity by allowing me to get to the solution faster.
LinkedIn has also been a wonderful friend to me. Since the beginning, I've been using it to help me grow my global network, giving me access to thousands of like-minded people who would otherwise be impossible to reach. Because most people who connect on LinkedIn have identified themselves as people looking to connect, LinkedIn has made it easier to build a professional network. The problem is that simply expanding your network won't help you. I'm seeing an increasing number of people on LinkedIn who appear to be using it to collect connect numbers rather than engage in conversation.
True networking is about discovery. It’s about looking for others that you have something in common and building a relationship. Of course, people want to work with others that they know, like, and trust. But, as with any type of connection, just meeting people and getting introductions is only part of the process. Making yourself valuable is the most crucial aspect of developing a professional network. I am a firm believer that the more you put yourself out there and the more eager you are to give up your valuable time and knowledge, the more you will receive in return.
Having a strong professional network is a powerful notion; it has undoubtedly benefitted me in my career, not only in terms of finding my next job but also as a source of useful knowledge that has helped me solve a problem that would have otherwise put me back days, weeks, or months.
In reality, my motivation for producing blog pieces, contributing to Linkedin groups, and generally wanting to help any workforce planning expert who approaches me with a problem comes from “Best Practice Sharing” and what I learn from talking shop with fellow planning professionals.
Sharing best practices and learning from others within my professional network has assisted me in identifying and filling knowledge gaps, generating new and inventive ideas, enabling improved decision making, and increasing my productivity by allowing me to get to the solution faster.
LinkedIn has also been a wonderful friend to me. Since the beginning, I've been using it to help me grow my global network, giving me access to thousands of like-minded people who would otherwise be impossible to reach. Because most people who connect on LinkedIn have identified themselves as people looking to connect, LinkedIn has made it easier to build a professional network. The problem is that simply expanding your network won't help you. I'm seeing an increasing number of people on LinkedIn who appear to be using it to collect connect numbers rather than engage in conversation.
True networking is about discovery. It’s about looking for others that you have something in common and building a relationship. Of course, people want to work with others that they know, like, and trust. But, as with any type of connection, just meeting people and getting introductions is only part of the process. Making yourself valuable is the most crucial aspect of developing a professional network. I am a firm believer that the more you put yourself out there and the more eager you are to give up your valuable time and knowledge, the more you will receive in return.
In 2019, I was suffering from a workforce management challenge and scratching my brain, wondering who in my network I might call on for a second opinion on whether I was on the right track. Of course, I could email or text a few connections, but I wished there was a community of WFM planners where I could post a query and receive an immediate response. So, with that in mind, I formed a group, which was originally on WhatsApp but has since been migrated to the Telegram Messenger app, and added a few of my acquaintances.
Over 800 more WFM professionals have joined since then (from all over the world), and I like to think we're one of the most active WFM dedicated best practice and networking virtual communities.
Anyone with a WFM background is welcome to join; the organisation is free to join and has a strict "no sales" policy, focusing instead on networking and exchanging best practices.
As well as the active members in the main group, there are subgroups are dedicated to NICE WFM, Aspect WFM, Verint WFM, Teleopti WFM, Injixo WFM, Genesys WFM Noble WFM, Intradiem WFM, Qstory WFM, Manual WFM and Job Opportunities.
Anyone interested in joining should first download the Telegram software on their smartphone (iOS, Windows, or Android are all supported), then join via the “Gateway to the Maingroup” room, where one of the admins or I will introduce you to the different main-group and subgroup options.
You can join this room directly using this link (WFManagement Gateway Room), or you can look for me on Telegram (my username is: casterton) and send me a telegram message, and I will add you to the groups personally.
Speak to you there
