NETWORKING CHARTER
Cornerstone Networking Initiatives (CNI)
Business Management
Purdue University
December 2012
Creating a need…
An employee in a departmental business office with little experience lacks the confidence to pick up the phone and ask for help. Being a new employee, this person might have a small network of people that he/she knows can help. For example, his/her options to answer a payroll question might be to call the central payroll department for a payroll question. This creates a bind on the central department and underutilizes the vast resource of having a business manager in each office that can competently answer most questions. The new employee needs a larger network and a way to build confidence to call a colleague that will not bog down an already swamped central network.
History
Business Services and its subsidiary Business Management at Purdue University have a long tradition of creating a family friendly work environment. Business Services currently operates the BS Social Committee that is tasked with planning 3 to 4 social events yearly. The Business Management group has a Business Management Bi-Annual Communication Forum to promote issues that relate to business managers, and what steps are being completed by the Business Manager group to take care of the issues. Business Management provides many committee opportunities for staff.
Business Services offers a staff development program for new hires to acclimate them to Purdue University. Not all new hires go through the staff development program. The new hires are asked to grow and network with peers in their hiring cohort. No all-encompassingnetworking program currently exists in Business Management.
Vision
Sharing positive experiences among peers can inspire idea cultivation, leadership development, progressive retention, and brand loyalty. Peer networking can be the foundation for positive growth throughout an organization. Business Management proposes Cornerstone Networking Initiatives to lay the groundwork for increased networking opportunities in the future.
Business Management will request volunteers to serve on the Cornerstone Networking Initiatives Board. The CNIBoard will lay the foundation to plan and coordinate networking events through surveys, a yearly calendar, and communication with group leaders. The focus of networking events will be to offer members of Business Management a way to meet and get to know colleagues through activities that may or may not relate to work.
Business Management will continue to promote a positive, inclusive, diverse, and supportive business management environment through the Cornerstone Networking Initiatives and use the CNI help to create a friendlier, more positive atmosphere for ideacirculation and can be a driver for forward moving organizations.
Coverage
The following items are covered by the Networking Charter:
CNI Board– The CNI Boardwill need to be 3 to 5 persons who are inspired to help peers network. The board will be responsible for administering semi-annual networking surveys, analyzing survey results, administering initial networking groups, and assisting to add new members to current networking activities
Surveys– Surveys will need to be completed by participants on a semi-annual basis and presented to the Business Management organization.
Activity Leaders – Activity leaders will own their networking activities. Leaders will be responsible for setting up the activity, calendaring the activity, attending or making sure somebody attends in his/her place, supplying materials (i.e. a ball for volleyball), and invite attendees to join the activity (promotion).
Yearly Calendar– Activities will be added to the calendar centrally or by the activity owner. Anyone can join an activity that is posted. Networking Leaders should send a friendly reminder to the individuals that show they would like to join the activity.
Allocations
Purdue Business Management does not plan to make a financial allocation towards networking committee activities. Business Management will host the networking calendar on the Business Management website and will also provide assistance to post items to the calendar.
Submission Process
- Email sent to ask for CNI board members
- Central Staff will assist with launching an online calendar that includes event and attendees.
- CNI board will send out a Networking Survey
- CNI board will analyze networking survey.
- CNI board will use the results of the survey to create teams
- CNI board will appoint Networking leaders based on survey results
- Networking leaders will post events to the calendar
- Networking leaders will promote their event
- Networking leaders will send final reminders/cancellations of events
- Networking leaders will report back to committee members if processes should be updated
Guidelines for Process
- Activities should be…
- Fun – attention grabbing, ex. Lunch, happy hour, walking, sport, etc.
- Inexpensive – shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg, keep it cheap and…
- Simple – what do you like to do in your free-time, others probably like to do it too
- Engaging – should allow members to chat, communicate, compete, listen, etc.
- Non-time consuming – it might only take a half hour to an hour to get to know someone; you don’t have to take all day/night.
- Family friendly – could this activity possibly include significant other/children?
- Relaxing – this could be running, working out, sitting around, etc.
- Convenient – you don’t have to go across the country to have a good time, try to find something local, the county fair is a nice treat late in the summertime.
- Social – it’s good to know how someone reacts around others, get out and live a little.
- Modest – it doesn’t have to be extravagant to have a good time.
- Friendly.
- Promotion should be…
- Basic – word of mouth, email, quick phone call.
- Inexpensive
- Takeaways should include…
- Expanding your network - answer the question of not knowing who to call.
- Creating the atmosphere of confidence that others are happy to help solve problems.
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