IMPBG308 – Develop professional networks in a food environment

 

Overview 

This standard is about the skills and knowledge needed for you to develop professional networks in a food 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 environment.

 

Performance criteria

You must be able to:

 

Plan how to develop your professional networks

1.         determine the scope of your professional food networks including colleagues internal and external to your organisation

2.         plan how you can develop your professional food networks

3.         establish new technologies that are available to increase your professional food networks

4.         invest time in determining innovative and useful sources of professional food 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 networks

 

Effective networking

7.         record contact details, business cards or any additional useful information to take advantage of informal and formal food 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 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 network obligations

                                                                

Knowledge and understanding

You need to know and understand

 

1.         how to determine the scope of your professional food networks and why it is important to do so

2.         how to plan how you can develop your professional food 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 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 networks, if you are unable to help

 

Keywords: Food; drink; manufacturing; develop; professional networks