• Guide to Networking index

Social networks don't exist without people and their relationships - and everyone is different in various ways. That means creating good networks involves understanding how people differ.
The diagram suggests that people differ in what they are good at, their interests, their attitudes - and also in their preferences in relating to other people. Here's how that might affect networking:

a mix of different organising, creating and social skills among network members can be valuable in putting on events, developing newsletters and anything else you need to do together. However, whether people want to do things together will depend partly on …

while people may come together for work projects, their personal interests and circumstances will make a difference in social settings. As will their ….

the basis for all good relationships is trust, and that's going to depend on whether you think people are on the same wavelength, and are being consistent and honest. Relationships and networks don't survive long without some commitment too. We also need to take account of…

some people like to make their presence strongly felt, others are more retiring. Some like a lot of face-to-face meetings, others like to do things by phone or email.