Earlier this year, I conducted my second annual Weekend Poll on the significance that professional associations and networks hold for readers.
The poll results were telling, in that 95% of respondents (a six percent increase from the previous year) reported that they belong to professional associations / networks. Like me, 68% of you belong to two or more such bodies. I believe these numbers speak to an understanding that such networking benefits members personally and professionally.
In fact, 79% of respondents reported that membership has enhanced their careers. Almost two thirds of you had already held leadership positions within your networks, and that surely supports refinement of leadership skills to deploy within the office. As well, a solid 78% also reported that networking has improved your workplace performance.
About those leadership skills
Many readers will have read my open letter to the NHS (National Health Service) Wales PA Network yesterday. There, I congratulated members on that network’s 10th birthday, and celebrated Catherine Thomas’ leadership of the group – and, yes. I also worked in a not-so-subtle encouragement that other people take a turn stepping up to the leadership plate!
But what’s the impact of your networking for your employer?
We all know that, wonderful as some employers can be, they wouldn’t sponsor an internal network without evidence of a solid return on investment (ROI). Clearly, the National Health Service of Wales must find value in having backed the NHS Wales PA Network for a decade now.
That’s also the case for many other employers, and it applies to both internal and external networks and associations. All this leads us to the focus of this weekend’s poll:
How does your networking benefit your employer?
Please take a couple of minutes to complete the poll below. As always, I look forward to hearing what you have to say; watch here for results on Tuesday.
“Select” whichever responses apply, and remember to CLICK on the “VOTE” ICON AFTER RESPONDING TO EACH question or statement.
