Making networks work (plus digression on lingerie)

ByElizabeth Harrin Last updated: Research & Case Studies

The sales are on in Paris at the moment. The sales are government-controlled, so all shops have a sale at the same time and sales at any other moment are forbidden. On my way to the bus stop each morning I walk past 5 lingerie shops, full of plastic models with drawn-on stomach muscles and tiny breasts with ‘-70%’ attached to the bits of silk wrapped around them. Despite the fact I know I’ll never look like them, I am attracted to the window display in Orcanta.

I have the perfect dress to go with it: a scarlet shift dress which somehow manages to make my stomach look flat, my calves look toned and keep me from losing my lunch in my cleavage all at the same time. It’s a fab dress. And it was … £5.50 from Oxfam! I have no idea who made it (pity); the label has been cut out. I just wish there were charity shops in Paris; with all the well-dressed people here I’d never have to shop anywhere else. Anyway, if I need to wow some project sponsor or power-dress, I wheel out my Oxfam bargain and I can conquer the world.

I had my half-year review on Thursday and I started the day wishing I had had the foresight to wear the red dress to give me extra confidence but actually it went OK and I didn’t need it.

I said I’d let you know what I thought the author of the article on Tech Republic I pointed to last week has left out.

It’s something I use a fair bit: networking. There is a great deal of power to be gained from pressing the right buttons with your network, even in relation to getting your boss or sponsor to do the right thing. They can and will be influenced by the performance and comments of others. They do care what their peers think of their department. So get a high-level set of friends and apply peer pressure wherever it is required.

Working a network takes a bit of practice. I can’t say I’m an expert but I get by. On another note about a different type of networking: Paris is getting a wi-fi network (thanks Francis for this link – link removed April 2021 as it’s no longer working). Whether I’ll still be here when it’s implemented is another matter. I’m not holding my breath…

Elizabeth Harrin wearing a pink scarf

Project manager, author, mentor

Elizabeth Harrin is a Fellow of the Association for Project Management in the UK. She holds degrees from the University of York and Roehampton University, and several project management certifications including APM PMQ. She first took her PRINCE2 Practitioner exam in 2004 and has worked extensively in project delivery for over 20 years.
Elizabeth is also the founder of the Project Management Rebels community, a mentoring group for professionals. She's written several books for project managers including Managing Multiple Projects.