Develop professional networks in a food and drink environment

This standard is about the skills and knowledge needed for you to develop professional networks in a food and drink environment. Building a wide network of colleagues internal and external to your organisation is a useful tool in aiding current work and in aiding career progression. It can also help in the fulfilment of organisational strategy and development plans. You will need the skills and knowledge to increase your professional networks through planning, using every day opportunities and using new technologies. You will also need the skills and knowledge to network effectively and conduct yourself in a way that promotes yourself and recognises differences in culture, methods of communication and working. This standard is for you if you work in food and drink manufacture and/or supply operations and are involved in developing professional networks in a food and drink environment.

Plan how to develop your professional networks

1. determine the scope of your professional food and drink networks

   including colleagues internal and external to your organisation

2. plan how you can develop your professional food and drink

   networks

3. establish new technologies that are available to increase your

   professional food and drink networks

4. invest time in determining innovative and useful sources of

   professional food and drink networks

5. communicate your desire to expand your network of contacts with

   existing contacts and colleagues

6. endeavour to exploit unplanned opportunities to develop

   professional food and drink networks

   Effective networking

7. record contact details, business cards or any additional useful

   information to take advantage of informal and formal food and

   drink networking events internal and external to your organisation

8. confirm while networking how you will communicate with a new

   contact

9. conduct yourself in a way that promotes a positive image of

   yourself

10. adapt your behaviour to take into account other people's culture,

    methods of communication and methods of working

11. ascertain business opportunities while networking

    Record information

12. record information relating to the professional food and drink

    network in a secure and organised manner

13. adhere to any commitments you make

14. recommend other people or organisations if you are unable to

    maintain food and drink network obligations

1. how to determine the scope of your professional food and drink

   networks and why it is important to do so

   2. how to plan how you can develop your professional food and drink

   networks

   3. the traditional and technological methods of increasing your

   professional networks, their benefits and challenges

   4. why it is important to use unplanned opportunities to increase

   your professional food and drink networks

   5. why it is important to record information relating to contacts in a

   secure and organised manner

   6. the methods of recording contacts and details relating to contacts

   and how to use them

   7. the importance of conduct, behaviour and non-verbal signals

   when building professional food networks

   8. what the techniques are for remembering other people's names

   9. how to initiate a conversation and make a good first impression

   10. the different cultures, methods of communication and methods of

   working you may come across and why it is important to

   recognise them and adapt your words and actions accordingly

   11. how to identify business opportunities when networking

   12. what the benefits are of recommending other people or

   organisations to your professional food and drink networks, if you

   are unable to help