Your Networking Circle

How to use the Network Circle Worksheet

A useful exercise that everyone should carry out on an annual basis is an analysis of their network, by identifying the circle of contacts around them. If you haven’t already got a copy of the Network Circle Worksheet (above) you can download your copy for free by signing up to our mailing list.

• Step 1: Download and print the NC worksheet
• Step 2: Write your name in the centre circle.
• Step 3: Write the names of people in the next circles working outwards grouping them in categories. For examples you might include work colleagues, former work colleagues, client contacts, friends, networking group contacts, Alumni etc.

The goal is to assess who is currently in your network and then use this information to develop your networking strategy. 

All the people you know will be in your network, you will need to evaluate these contacts and consider if they are or might develop into a professional network relationship.

What to do with the Network Circle Information

There are plenty of things that you can now do with the Network Circle information as part of your networking strategy.

You can use it to:

• evaluate your network;
• identify gaps in your network
• identify contacts to re-establish contact with
• identify contacts you want to get to know better
• identify contacts to progress your relationship with
• identify customers/clients and potential customers/clients
• identify categories of people you need to focus on.
• Identify people to send an email to or carry out some follow-up action with e.g. invite to an event
• identify contacts you can call upon to help with something specific.

While we recommend that you use the worksheet each year, you can use it and re-use it, in connection with each networking strategy that you have or with a particular goal in mind.

For example: I might be launching a new product. The product won’t be for everyone, looking at the Network Circle Worksheet or carrying out a refocused review of my network can help me easily find who in my personal network might be a potential customer and how I might approach them.