Networking With a Purpose (And Why We Might Need to Rethink the Word Altogether)
At Business Hunter’s recent Business in Focus event, NHN Group CEO Ben Dewson joined fellow panellists to explore how business relationships can be built with greater intention and authenticity. For a leader operating in environments where trust, credibility and long-term partnerships are critical, the topic goes beyond “networking” in the traditional sense. It’s about clarity of purpose, human connection and leadership presence under scrutiny.
Ben has since shared his reflections below on why the word “networking” might need a reset…
For many people, the word networking carries a certain stigma. I’ve got mates who’ll describe an event as “a bit networky” if they didn’t enjoy it… usually meaning it felt awkward, forced, or full of surface-level conversations with people they didn’t know.
The image that comes to mind is the dreaded day-care birthday party where your kids are too young to drop off and leave, and you suddenly realise you have nothing in common with any adult there except that your children attend the same centre.
It doesn’t have to feel that way.
Resetting the mindset
The first shift is mental.
Before attending any event, it helps to be clear (and honest) about why you’re going:
- Is it the speaker?
- The topic?
- The people you know will be there?
- Or are you hoping to meet one or two specific people?
All of those reasons are valid.
What creates the internal ick is when we feel pressure to meet people, or we attend without intention and end up feeling disengaged and wondering why we’re there.
If your purpose is to meet people, there’s no need to shy away from that. Plan it professionally and be deliberate. When you approach events with a clear goal in mind, they stop feeling transactional and start feeling purposeful. And that purpose removes pressure.
Start with the human, not the role
When I attend business events, my approach is simple.
If I’m not there solely for the speaker or content, I focus on finding my seat. More often than not, that means sitting next to someone I don’t know, which removes the pressure of “working the room.”
From there, I don’t default to talking about work.
There’s a visual concept by Carl Richards (The Sketch Guy) that I often return to. It shows money and work as a very small circle inside a much larger one labelled life. It’s a reminder that what someone does for a living is only a small part of who they are.
Yet at business events, we tend to focus exclusively on that small circle.
Instead, I anchor conversations in the larger one:
- Where are they from?
- Do they have kids?
- What do they enjoy outside of work?
- Have they got a holiday coming up?
- What does their weekend usually look like?
These questions are easier, more natural and far more human.
People relax, conversations flow and relationships form on something deeper than roles and titles.
Ironically, those relationships are often stronger and more valuable over time.
Design it to suit you
If attending events genuinely makes you anxious, there are practical ways to reduce that friction. Go with a colleague, bring a friend or invite a client who would benefit from the topic.
If you’re a sole trader, bringing someone along can take the edge off. If you’re part of a larger organisation, there’s almost always someone who genuinely enjoys these environments and thrives in them.
It’s okay to recognise that networking might not be your strength. That’s not avoidance, it’s self-awareness and good teams know how to lean into each other’s strengths.
The real shift
Networking doesn’t need a rebrand as much as it needs a reset.
When we stop treating it as a forced activity and start treating it as an opportunity to connect with people as people it becomes lighter, more authentic and far more effective. You will find that curiosity replaces awkwardness and that pressure around what to chat about goes away. Genuine connection will always outperform transactional exchange.