Networking Plan for Dye & Dyer Incorporated - Case Study Example

 CRITICAL REFLECTION ACTIVITY Part 1 Networking for Dye & Dyer Inc Name of contact Who introduced me to the contact? To whom did I introduce the contact? Lucy Hassan Me Bill Nicholls Robert Ming Bill Nicholls Phillip Murdoch Cynthia Carew Dave Chambers Martha Dickens Dave Chambers Denis McCormick Bill Nicholls Martha Dickens Bill Nicholls Lucy Hassan Denis McCormick Bill Nicholls Patrick Buck Morris Gift Me Dave Chambers Q 1 Dye & Dyer is my small enterprise dealing in fashion and art. Its main objective and vision is: “To enliven the world through fashion and art”. For Dye & Dyer to succeed, it needs networking. I have engaged in networking and most of my contacts have been made through Bill Nicholls. This identifies him as the super connector in this network. A super connector is that person who makes vital connections or introductions that grow a network (Uzzi & Dunlap, 2005). Bill fits this definition well. He has made vital introductions as seen in the above table. Bill is a graduate from Sydney University and is currently a fashion and design professional that appreciates and shares the company’s vision as well as objective. I met Lucy Hassan in my search for quality art pieces that Dye & Dyer could use. In the process of our interaction, I introduced her to Bill whom I had met earlier on. Bill required someone of her expertise in printing some designs for his Art collections and Lucy Hassan was the perfect match. Bill had introduced me to Denis who was a fashion guru who run his own fashion blogs, and aided in the selection of fashion pieces for display. In turn I introduced Denis to another fashion guru: Patrick, who dealt in African art and fashion. Bill also introduced me to another fashion guru Martha, who just as Denis, ran her own fashion blogs, and aided in the selection of fashion pieces for display. Martha needed someone with fashion printing expertise. So, I introduced her to Lucy Hassan. I needed a person who would avail models for my fashion business. In this context Denis introduced me to Dave. Dave ran an independent modeling agency, and would provide Dye & Dyer with models for the photo shoot sessions. It turned out that Bill also needed the services of a modelling house. Therefore, I introduced Dave to Bill. I needed expert opinion on my fashion pieces. Dave introduced me to Cynthia Carew to help me in this area. Cynthia is now a friend and she provides critique and objectivity to the fashion pieces that I select for Dye & Dyer. Indeed, her advice is invaluable in making fashion statements and presentations. It is her passion for fashion that made me introduce her to Martha, who in turn introduced her (Cynthia) into the world of blogs on high-end fashion and art. I needed help in filming as well as shoots. Bill introduced me to Robert. Robert is a film expert. This introduction enables me to access his innumerable knowledge on film and photography. I in turn introduced him to Phillip, who helped him branch his (Robert’s) company to neighboring counties. Morris is a financial consultant from my university who impressed me with his portfolio in management. Morris was a friend I had known from my university days. Bill, who enjoys risky investments, needed expert advice on the issue of management. It is for this reason that I introduced him (Bill) to Morris. That is how my network grew within a short span of time with Bill acting as my super – connector. This network has exhibited tremendous growth in a short span of time and is expected to continue growing. Q 2 The networks we build determine the access and extent that our ideas will reach. Creating strong networks is therefore an essential part of the structure of any individual’s life, or the structure of any organization’s life (Sigmar et al. 2012). After reading Uzzi & Dunlop’s article (2005), I had to take a critical look at my network and its structure. Bill Nicholls introduced me to the fashion business and has since acted as my contact in matters concerning fashion. Since he takes up and makes most of my connections to other parties, this eliminates the possibility that my network is inbred (Uzzi & Dunlap, 2005). The diverse array of skills offered by my key contacts also indicates that I am on the right path in creating an efficient network. One issue, however, is the fact that these contacts are built on acquaintance status (Janasz and Schneider, 2006). All the same, with Bill as my super-connector and other key contact persons, my network building for Dye & Dyer seems to be on the right track and will surely benefit Dye & Dyer in the long run to succeed in the fashion and art industry. Q 3 In future, I aim to present more than just fellow contacts to each of my business’ contacts. I aim to get to know them better with a clearer understanding of their personalities and interests, thereby bonding on grounds other than business (Uzzi & Dunlap, 2005). In doing so, we will forge stronger relationships and a stable base of professionals in the fashion industry. I also need to expand my network to include professionals who are not in my or my friends’ social networks. New contact persons in different sectors as well as similar sector, will give Dye & Dyer other aspects as well as contacts. Doing so will improve the diversity of my contacts and help me in avoiding failure from the proximity principle (Uzzi & Dunlap, 2005). These changes, as well as our continued interaction, will necessitate the growth, strength and overall benefits of having each other’s skills in the network (Williamson & De Meyer, 2012). Part 2 Professional profile I chose LinkedIn to set up my professional profile. This is because LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking site. LinkedIn would give my profile a better professional outlook. It would also give my profile an edge. This is by placing my professional profile in a pool of professional profiles by professionals all over the world. This would make my professional network grow faster as well as reach out to many professionals in the various fields the world over (Nambisan and Sawhney, 2011). My LinkedIn account was created using the below credentials: My user name: Mossab Reboo Password: 123aaa My email – Re.s3boo@hotmail.com. My summary was entered as follows: I am Mossab, a commerce student with a degree in the same but with an interest in fashion and the arts. With my schooling in Saudi Arabia and Australia, my mind is open to the ideas and inspirations that different markets have to offer. My profile is presented in screenshots at the appendix. Q1. The summary section was difficult. This was because it is not easy to summarize one self, the experiences, the beliefs as well as the aspirations one has in his or her personal life as well as in his or her professional life. The summary had to be simple precisely to the point. It only highlighted the main aspiration I have as an individual. It was difficult to incorporate all aspects of my aspirations, objectives as well as goals in concise statements. Q2. To connect with various people on LinkedIn, I adopted a strategy. The strategy was inclusive of the fact that people connect more if they have almost similar interest, goals as well as hobbies. I sought to connect to professionals who were in the field of commerce, the arts as well as those in fashion. These persons shared the same interests and sectors as I did. It therefore became easier to connect to these people via LinkedIn. This was because my profile information indicated and showed my main interest areas, which happened to be in the same areas as the people in my network (Michaelides et al., 2012). . Q3. Strive to make a good first impression on persons with whom you connect or interact with. Always have a business card or e-card. They give a good snapshot of skill and a professional outlook. Make effort to get out of your comfort zone to interact with other persons / professionals. Try and connect to people genuinely. It should not be for immediate gain. Share knowledge during networking. This way you give as well as gain knowledge on various areas. Make an effort to introduce yourself well. Make conversation and get to know the other person well The above mentioned strategies are just but some of the easy and fast ways to generate new contacts (Iyer, 2012). Q4. I followed some groups and they include: Ralph Lauren (Apparel and Fashion), Burberry (Luxury goods and Jewelry), University of Sydney (Higher Education), Merrill Lynch (Financial Services) and Investors Group (Financial Services). The profiles of all these groups appealed to my interests as well as aspirations. Ralph Lauren and Burberry groups had valuable information on fashion and opportunities in the fashion industry. Both groups are in the fashion world and I would like to keep abreast with fashion information from the two groups. I followed University of Sydney because I am a student at the institution. Moreover, it is essential to benefit from the linkages of the University with other organizations with a stake in the fashion industry. I followed Merill Lynch and Investors group because as mentioned earlier, I am have a degree in commerce and am still majoring in the same academic field. These two groups will be valuable sources of information on business and marketing. Q5. I learnt that there are many diverse professionals with similar interests and a stake in the fashion industry. This includes people in academia, business, media and the fashion industry. Most of these professionals are versatile and they utilize the internet to explore several opportunities. I also learnt that LinkedIn offers a good platform for networking with other professionals across the world. Q6. Professional networking is essential in today’s world. The professional networking sites (such as LinkedIn) take professional networking to another level. It gives it a social platform, makes it faster and easier just by the click of a button. The professional networking sites facilitate better professional networking and present various advantages (Williamson & De Meyer, 2012). They include: bolstering interpersonal skills (personal skills) via online interactions, building professional confidence via more professional networking, increasing efficiency due many beneficial professional relationships and provision for opportunities for career enhancement via job openings availed via professional networking (Michaelides, et al., 2012) APPENDIX LinkedIn profile screenshots: References De Janasz, S. C., 2006. Networking and Mentoring. In: Interpersonal Skills in Organizations. Boston: McGraw-Hill Iyer, P., 2012. How to Transform Firms into Networks. The Weekend Australian, July, pp. 28-29. Janasz, D., K., D. & Schneider, B., 2006. Interpersonal skills in organizations. 2nd ed. Sidney: McGraw-Hill. Michaelides, R. et al., 2012. Collaboration Networks and Collaboration Tools: A Match For SMEs?. International Journal of Production Research, 51(7), pp. 2034-2048. Nambisan, S. & Sawhney, M., 2011. Orchestration Processes in Network-Centric Innovation: Evidence From the Field. Academy of Management Perspectives, 25(3), pp. 40-57. Sigmar, L. S., Hynes, G. E. & Hill, K. L., 2012. Strategies for Teaching Social and Emotional Intelligence in Business Communication.. Business Communication Quarterly, 75(3), pp. 301-317. Uzzi, B. & Dunlap, S., 2005. How To Build Your Networks. Harvard Business review, 83(12), pp. 53-60. Williamson, P. J. & De Meyer, A., 2012. Ecosystem Advantage: How to Successfully Harness the Power of Partners. California Management Review, 55(1), pp. 24-46. Read More