Topic 1 Networking at the Workplace.pptx

Networking at workplace

1. CNPC Niger Petroleum S.A., Niamey, Niger English at Work Lecture 1: Networking at the Workplace CNPC Niger Petroleum S.A.

2. Contents 2 Lesson 1: Starting a conversation Lesson 2: It’s a small World Lesson 3: Making Small Talk

3. Networking at the Workplace 3 Lesson 1: Starting a conversation

4. Networking at the Workplace STARTING A CONVERSATION In the workplace, it is not enough just to be able do your job well; you must also know how to network as this helps to build good relationships between you and potential clients/Partners. To do this, you need to look and sound friendly, confident, sincere and helpful. These qualities go a long way towards creating favorable first impressions, which increase the likelihood of you being successful in business dealings later on.

5. Networking at the Workplace 1. Introducing Yourself The first networking skill that you need to learn is how to introduce yourself at the workplace. Below are some expressions that you can use when meeting people for the first time: Hello, my name is ... I’m with IT services. Good morning, may I introduce myself? My name is ... and I’m from the marketing department. Hello, I don't think we've met before. I'm ... and I'm responsible for new product development. Hi there, my name's Timothy but everyone calls me Tim. I'm with financial services.

6. Networking at the Workplace Remember that when you introduce yourself, it is not just what you say that matters. You must use the right words of course, but a friendly smile and direct eye contact will definitely help you to create a good first impression. Imagine that you are an intern in an engineering firm. Using the subheadings below, introduce yourself to your colleague. Avita Engineering Sdn Bhd Staff record Last name: First name: Date of commencement of internship: Duration of internship: Major job duties: Degree/academic qualifications: Area of specialization:

7. Networking at the Workplace 2. Introducing Others Now that you have learnt how to introduce yourself, you need to know how to introduce others at your workplace. When you introduce someone, it is good practice to mention the name and position of the person you are introducing, so that your colleagues not only know the person's name but also what he does. This is the norm in business communication. Phrases commonly used when introducing someone: Hi everyone, meet ... She is my personal assistant. Can I introduce you to ...? He’s our new project manager. I’d like to introduce you to ..., our new web designer.

8. Networking at the Workplace Mrs. Au : Margaret, let me introduce you to Michael Hill, from our Australian branch. Michael's the operations executive in Canberra. He’s joining us here on a staff exchange program for a month. Margaret : Hello, Michael. I'm so pleased to meet you. Michael : Hi Margaret, I'm happy to meet you too. You've a nice set up here. Margaret : Yes, it's a great place to work in. How's your first day going? Michael : Wonderful. It's been really interesting. Mrs. Au : I was just showing Michael around. Can I leave it to you to show him the ropes? Margaret : Oh, yes, of course. It'll be my pleasure. Michael : Thank you so much, Mrs. Au. Mrs. Au : You're welcome, Michael. I'll catch up with you later.

9. Networking at the Workplace Discussion questions: 1. What do you think can happen if visitors at a workplace are not properly introduced? 2. Do you feel that it is necessary to mention the positions of the people you introduce? Give reasons for your answer.

10. Networking at the Workplace 10 Lesson 2: It’s a small World

11. Networking at the Workplace It’s a Small World The world today is increasingly a global village as more and more people work far from home, often traversing the globe on professional assignments. You may have met some of these “global citizens” in the course of your work. Some may be permanent employees in your company while others are appointed only on a short-term consultation basis. Yet others may be visitors. Perhaps you yourself travel frequently to branch offices all over the world, sharing knowledge and expertise. Truly, the 21st century worker must be one who is able to socialize and network with people from different countries and diverse backgrounds.

12. Networking at the Workplace Do you know that we sometimes identify people by the countries they come from? For example, if someone comes from Russia, we say he is a Russian. What do you call someone who comes from the following countries?

13. Networking at the Workplace Imagine that you are the chairperson at an international conference held in Malaysia. You need to introduce delegates from various countries to the audience. How would you go about doing this? Firstly, you need to find out how to correctly pronounce the names of foreign delegates. You should also get some general information about the speakers, as well as the topics they are speaking on. Check their name tags to be sure that you have got the right person, before you start your introduction. A simple way would be to say: “It gives me great pleasure to present the first speaker of the day, Dr Rena Goep . Dr Goep comes from Sarawak, Malaysia, and will be speaking on the topic ...”

14. Networking at the Workplace Now, introduce the following speakers: 1. Lo Wei Han (China) 2. Jay dip Gupta (India) 3. Ahmad Yusof (Indonesia) 4. Howard Atkinson (Britain) 5. Yumi Tanaka (Japan)

15. Networking at the Workplace 15 Lesson 3: Making Small Talk

16. Networking at the Workplace MAKING SMALL TALK When networking with business partners and professionals at the work place, you sometimes need to engage in small talk. This is especially true if you are meeting people from different countries for the first time. What is small talk and what do you say when making small talk? Small talk may be defined as chatting about things not directly related to the business at hand .There are no fixed rules about what one should, or should not say, when engaging in small talk. Some subjects are, however, considered “no-no ” areas, for example, politics and religion. Likewise, details about your family might also be deemed too personal a topic, especially when one is at the workplace.

17. Networking at the Workplace Safe topics would be those revolving round everyday issues like holidays, travel, traffic, public transport, entertainment, etc . You can also talk about interests that you and your conversation partner may have in common. Indeed, one of the objectives of making small talk is to discover shared interests so that you gradually learn to be comfortable with each other. However, common sense rules need to be observed when making small talk. For instance, if the person you are conversing with is older, or more senior to you in rank and position, you should be more deferential in tone. Begin with exploratory questions to discover, slowly, the areas that both of you feel comfortable talking about.

18. Networking at the Workplace When you are at a loss for words, you can resort to „ice breakers‰ such as the following: How was your journey? Is this your first visit to...? Where are you staying? How has your visit been so far? Do you need any help or information? Tell me more about your country.

19. What do you find difficult, or enjoyable, when talking to (a) someone you are meeting for the first time at your workplace? (b) a superior or head of department? (c) people from different countries? (consider several different nationalities) (d) a large group of people?

20. Networking at the Workplace Sports Movies Politics The weather Your family Music Business Your education Travel Religion Work in pairs: (a) Which of these topics would you avoid during a first meeting with a business associate?

21. Hope Niger be better