The Power of Networking

Transcript

The Power of Networking

442_The Power of Networking

[00:00:00] Alexander: You are listening to the Effective Statistician podcast. The weekly podcast with Alexander Sha and Ben Pisca designed to help you reach your potential lead great science and serve patients while having a great [00:00:15] work life balance.

[00:00:22] Alexander: In addition to our premium courses on the Effective Statistician Academy, we [00:00:30] also have. Lots of free resources for you across all kind of different topics within that academy. Head over to the effective statistician.com and find the [00:00:45] Academy and much more for you to become an effective statistician. I’m producing this podcast in association with PSIA community dedicated to leading and promoting use of statistics within the healthcare industry.

[00:00:59] Alexander: [00:01:00] For the benefit of patients, join PSI today to further develop your statistical capabilities with access to the ever-growing video on demand content library free registration to all PSI webinars and much, much more. [00:01:15] Head over to the PSI website@psiweb.org to learn more about PSI activities and become a PSI member to pick.[00:01:30] 

[00:01:30] Alun: Hello everyone. I’m Alan Bedding and welcome to the Effective Statistician Podcast. Why explore specific topics that can help a statistician become more effective? Next week is the PSI conference, and today I wanna dive into an [00:01:45] important topic for that conference, and that’s something that comes up in almost every career conversation I’ve had, but still gets treated like a side topic.

[00:01:53] Alun: That is networking. Before you zone out or think, I’m not a networker, let me reassure you, this [00:02:00] ES episode isn’t about small talk or some awkward cocktail reception. It’s about the power of genuine human connection. It’s about how strategic authentic networking can shape your professional development, open up opportunities you didn’t [00:02:15] even know existed, and frankly, make your job a lot more enjoyable.

[00:02:20] Alun: So let me start with a story. Few years ago, I attended the PSCA conference, and during a coffee break I struck up a conversation with somebody called Alexander [00:02:30] who was starting to run this particular podcast. That quick chat led to a series of emails and a follow up conversations, and now I’m appearing as a guest host of the podcast.

[00:02:44] Alun: That was the [00:02:45] power of networking. It wasn’t planned. It happened because two people connected at the right moment, and that is the essence of networking. But today I wanna explore how we can [00:03:00] all do this better. Whether you are a seasoned professional or just getting started, here’s how we’ll break it down.

[00:03:08] Alun: First, I’ll describe what network really is and what it isn’t. [00:03:15] Second, we’ll talk about. Why it matters, not just in theory, but in real practical terms. Third, the biggest myths that hold people back when networking. And finally, [00:03:30] how to approach networking at events like the PSI. Confidence. Confidence with confidence, and with purpose.

[00:03:38] Alun: So let’s get into it. Networking isn’t about collecting business cards or [00:03:45] working a room. At its heart, networking is about pure curiosity. It’s about listening, asking questions, and building trust. With those you network with, [00:04:00] it’s about engaging with the person in front of you, not just because they can do something for you, but it’s a pure, authentic connection.

[00:04:13] Alun: They might challenge [00:04:15] your thinking. They might challenge you to share an experience. They make you laugh. They make a long conference day, seem much more enjoyable [00:04:30] at PSI. The value of these interactions is amplified. There’s a lot of people there with which you can network. You might find yourself talking to a senior leader.

[00:04:43] Alun: You might find [00:04:45] yourself talking to somebody for a regulatory authority. You might be brainstorming over a poster session with someone who’s cracked the same problem you are facing right now. And the amazing thing is [00:05:00] none of this can feel forced because you’re surrounded by people who share your interests, challenges and passion for using data to make better healthcare decisions.

[00:05:13] Alun: There are three [00:05:15] key benefits I want to highlight here. First, access to insider knowledge, the kind you don’t get from web journals or webinars. I’m talking about real life war stories [00:05:30] on CLA trials, experience with regulators, organizational politics, the technological tools that aren’t on the company.

[00:05:39] Alun: Train this yet. Maybe someone else is using these nuggets often [00:05:45] come from informal chats and they can save you weeks of trial and error. Second, career acceleration. Most jobs, collaborations, speaking opportunities and committee roles come through those [00:06:00] relationships. I’ve seen countless people who have been tapped for exciting work simply because they knew someone who trusted them.

[00:06:10] Alun: It wasn’t about being the best on paper necessarily. It was about being visible, [00:06:15] credible, and trustworthy. Third, support and belonging, especially in a profession that can sometimes feel slightly isolated, when you know people across companies, countries [00:06:30] functions, you feel less alone, and that support could be a huge resilience boost when things get tough.

[00:06:40] Alun: So let’s burst a few myths. Myth number one, [00:06:45] I am too introverted. There’s no such thing as introverts can’t network. Introverts often make the best networkers because they’re thoughtful listeners. They’re also thoughtful [00:07:00] about what they want to get out of specific network encounters. Some of the deepest, most impactful professional relationships I’ve built have started with one-on-one conversations.

[00:07:14] Alun: Myth number [00:07:15] two, I have nothing to offer. I love this one. Everyone has something to offer. Everyone has experience. You have a perspective. You have your own experience, you have [00:07:30] your own questions. Remember, you’re a human being before you became a statistician. It’s all about genuine curiosity. People remember you, not for what you just said, [00:07:45] but for how you made them feel, and that goes an awful long way.

[00:07:52] Alun: Myth number three, networking is manipulative. That’s an interesting one. It [00:08:00] can feel manipulative or it can be manipulative if you are not showing up with genuine curiosity. If you treat people like transactions, yes, it will feel manipulative, but if you show [00:08:15] up with respect with authenticity, networking becomes service orientated.

[00:08:22] Alun: You help others, they help you. It’s a collaboration. It’s not about manipulation. It’s a [00:08:30] collaboration between two people and it’s a relationship building. So there’s top practicalities. How do you put all of this into action? Particularly if you are heading to PSI next week, how are you gonna show up [00:08:45] and how are you going to network?

[00:08:48] Alun: So the first thing to think about is what are your intentions? Set your intentions out before the conference. You’ve got the agenda. Before the conference starts, pick two or three things [00:09:00] that you want to get outta the conference. Maybe it’s meeting somebody from a different company. Maybe you have a goal of learning about a particular topic, or maybe it’s just about reconnecting with someone you most admire.[00:09:15] 

[00:09:15] Alun: Think about what those things are and write down goals for those things so that uppermost in your mind when you attend the conference.

[00:09:26] Alun: Importantly, start small. The P [00:09:30] side conference can be quite daunting. There are lots of people. There’s gonna be around 500 people in a large environment like Wembley Stadium, and you don’t need to think about working the whole room. [00:09:45] Aim for a good conversation with one person, one per session, or one per day.

[00:09:52] Alun: That’s enough. And when you’ve had that conversation, take that off as success. Go to a [00:10:00] quiet place. Reflect, what did I get outta that conversation? What have I learned from having that conversation with this particular person? Use the environment. PSI is full [00:10:15] of opportunities. There are poster sessions, there’s coffee breaks.

[00:10:21] Alun: There’s evening, evening socials. If you want to the magic to happen with it from a networking [00:10:30] perspective, go to these events, talk to people, talk to somebody you don’t know, put it down as an objective, and afterwards reflect, what did I learn from that interaction? You will find, you’ll come out with [00:10:45] so many things from the interactions you have.

[00:10:51] Alun: Follow up with the people that you networked with, even if it’s just a quick message after the event. It was great to meet [00:11:00] you. I really enjoyed our chat about X. Let’s stay in touch and do stay in touch. Connect with them, connect on LinkedIn, connect on other socials exchange emails. You are now connected.[00:11:15] 

[00:11:15] Alun: It’s amazing that somebody you might connect with a few in a few years time, they come back to you because they want to know, well, you talked about this at the conference. Let’s talk about that again. And [00:11:30] if you are presenting or sharing a session, let people know. It makes you more approachable. If you see someone whose work you admire, tell them If somebody tells you.

[00:11:43] Alun: They admire your work and they [00:11:45] love how you do X, Y, and Z. It makes you day, it makes you feel a hundred percent. So networking, it’s not magical. It’s not somebody that this person could do. That [00:12:00] person could do, but I can’t do it. It’s a skill. It takes practice, but it does get better. If this is your first time at PSI, it may seem daunting to go and talk to people, [00:12:15] but the more you get used to practicing talking to somebody, the easier it gets.

[00:12:23] Alun: You need to approach networking with the right mindset. You need to have that [00:12:30] mindset of curiosity. What can I learn from this person? What can I learn from this session? Going with a generosity, abundance mindset. I just want to network. I just want to connect with people. [00:12:45] It’s about building relationships and most importantly, be authentic.

[00:12:50] Alun: Be yourself. That is really important in these scenarios. You’re not trying to sell anything to anybody, maybe not even trying to sell yourself. If [00:13:00] you do all of these things, I can guarantee it becomes one of the most rewarding parts of your professional life. And it multiplies. You have no idea how this person, you are networking at this conference, how [00:13:15] important they might be in the future.

[00:13:16] Alun: They might not be. I’ve lost count of the number of times that networking has become important in my environment. That’s why when I go to PSI, I think, who am I gonna network with? How can I network with this [00:13:30] person? How can I connect with that person? To me, it’s a really important piece of the PSI conference.

[00:13:37] Alun: As you head into the PSI conference next week and any future event, don’t just think [00:13:45] about what am I gonna learn from the particular session? What am I gonna learn from a technical perspective? That’s important, yes. But don’t just think about that. Think about who am I going to meet? Who do I want to [00:14:00] meet?

[00:14:01] Alun: And as I look at the delegate list, is there a person on that delegate list I really want to talk to? Think ahead. Well, what questions might I ask? But I’d also give you permission not to [00:14:15] plan too much in advance. Think about things on the spot. How can I respond to that person? You don’t want to go into those conversations with a list of questions and plan those questions up [00:14:30] upfront necessarily.

[00:14:32] Alun: You wanna be present for that person. You wanna be authentic with that person. The more presence you can have with that person, the more you can react in the moment, the more genuine and more authentic that’s [00:14:45] going to be.

[00:14:49] Alun: The truth behind every individual inside that you are getting from those networking pieces is an opportunity. [00:15:00] Those conversations are leading to opportunities, breakthroughs. There is an initial conversation and I would say PSI is a fantastic event for making those conversations [00:15:15] happen. If my thoughts and tips will resonate with you, feel free to come up to speak to me.

[00:15:21] Alun: I’m more than happy to talk to as many people as possible. Thank you very much for joining me today on this [00:15:30] Friday edition of The Faith Pod Podcast statistician. If you found it helpful, share with a colleague who may be heading to PSI and as always, stay curious, stay connected, and keep growing. [00:15:45] I look forward to welcoming you on another edition of The Effective Status Podcast soon.

[00:15:51] Alun: Thank you very much for listening.

[00:15:57] Alexander: This show was created in [00:16:00] association with PSI. Thanks to Rain and her team at VVS who help with assurance background, and thank you for listening. Reach your potential lead right science and serve patients. Just be an effective [00:16:15] [00:16:30] statistician.