Networking in L&D

1st February, 2025 10 min read

Do you enjoy speaking with other L&D professionals? How effective are you at networking within our industry? Here we explore ideas for making the most of our collective experiences and talents. And invite you to tell us what you think.

As a learning and development professional, you’re probably good at talking – and hopefully, you’re even better at listening! But despite being in a ‘people’ profession, sometimes we struggle to make networking work for us. And even if we enthusiastically participate, and think we’re ‘good’ at networking, how effective are we really?

I like to think I’m pretty good at engaging in conversation with people, even complete strangers, but I admit to not always feeling entirely comfortable when I know I’m going to an event (in-person or online) with the express intention of ‘networking’. If that’s you too, do read on!

Why invest time in networking?

Before exploring networking itself, let’s first go back to basics: what is networking and why should we invest our time in making new connections?

Meeting new people to share experiences and ideas, in the spirit of friendly and professional curiosity, is often stimulating and thought-provoking. As ‘people people’, learning and development professionals are usually keen to help others and show interest in what their colleagues are doing, and how they are doing it. It can be a morale boost to hear how others are grappling with an issue or experiencing some of the same barriers you are dealing with. Knowing you are not alone in addressing a particular problem builds confidence and is reassuring. Moreover, it helps you generate ideas for resolving issues and provides a sounding board for testing them out. It’s important to not come along with a particular agenda in mind – networking is at its best when there are no ‘axes to grind’ and there is open communication between participants. Networking can establish new professional relationships that lead to exciting opportunities.

Why do we find it hard?

It’s our job to relate to others, promote positive interpersonal skills, inspire curiosity and encourage empathy. And yet, I suspect that we’re not so good at taking our own tips when it comes to networking and developing our professional network. Yes, we’ll happily chat to people we know and like, but what about people we haven’t been introduced to yet? Are we good at contributing our thoughts in Chat during webinars, but like to sit and watch when it comes to physical face-to-face networking?

Despite the myriad benefits of networking, and the generally accepted belief that it’s ‘a good thing’, networking can feel intimidating or simply something we don’t have time for. Sometimes we simply forget that a group we’re a member of exists because it’s not front of mind. Do you consciously make time for networking, in person or online? How do you react when going into a room full of strangers to ‘network’? I suspect that we’re not always as good as we might be when it comes to talking with complete strangers or acquaintances in our professional lives.

In exploring the likes and dislikes of networking with some of our customers at Scott Bradbury and academy+, the lack of time is certainly raised as a barrier. And it’s not just lack of time that’s a factor. It takes effort and energy to engage proactively in networking, so we need to be clear about the benefits before we invest our resources. As with everything else, it’s a case of identifying our priorities and being judicious in our choice of events and networking groups. Not all so-called ‘networking opportunities’ are worth that investment.

Sales events masquerading as networking

You’ll be aware of the torrent of webinars targeted at you and addressing key issues in learning and development. These events offer the promise of networking as well as the opportunity to hear someone speak on a relevant topic. Some of these events can be very informative but it’s essential to consider who is hosting, and why? Inevitably, these events are offered by companies which ultimately want to sell you something. They may genuinely be wanting to engage you in the stated topic, but there will be an ulterior motive. I’ve attended many of these events, both as a participant and as a speaker, in the latter case with the intention of raising brand awareness and establishing contact with potential prospective customers. However, from your perspective, this is not a bad thing in itself. It’s a useful way of getting to know potentially useful future suppliers and finding out about new products and services. All I would highlight is that you think about the reason for the event. It’s unlikely that your networking is the organiser’s (or the speaker’s!) top priority, although that may indeed be a useful by-product of the event.

In-person exhibitions also provide networking spaces and actively encourage visitors to mingle. People usually respond well to this thanks to the nature of our profession. So if you sit down next to someone at a coffee table, they will usually exchange pleasantries and you may strike up a really useful conversation. More often however, they will have worked out what they want to do that day and are about to rush off to a session! In my experience, forced networking of this kind, even when there is a dedicated ‘networking room’ or session, doesn’t sit easily with people. Folk enter into the spirit of the event but unless you’re very lucky, nothing really useful emerges. What definitely does work is when you arrange to meet up with people who already know or have a particular reason to meet. Having a common purpose gives you a reason to get together and that is the key to success.

What’s wrong with online networking groups?

Online networking groups can be useful because they are always there, ready when you need them and they don’t interfere with your work schedule. But one of the problems with ‘always on’ online networking groups is that people forget they are there. And if you do engage, there’s no guarantee that the other people you want to network with are also available and checking in around that time. Unless you are regularly engaging, it’s easy to overlook the group entirely.

Counter intuitively, an ‘always on’ networking offering has the opposite effect: it is also ‘always off’ if you don’t remember to use it. And because members don’t schedule time to engage and have no structure, it isn’t as useful as it could potentially be unless it is well promoted and regularly gets your attention.

One exception might be LinkedIn, as so many people have a profile there and visit regularly, even daily. But like all social media, it’s a great time sapper and if you get drawn into scrolling too often, you’ll waste a lot of time on things that probably aren’t top of your priority list. That said, it’s a great way to make new connections, keep in touch with people and stay up to date on developments in the industry.

What to look for in a good networking event

It pays to think carefully about which networking groups to join and participate in. Here are three important features to look for in a networking group:

    • Common purpose
    • Structure and time delineation
    • Regular sessions

By having a common purpose or a shared need, members of the networking group have a reason to get together. Having a sense of purpose is always vital. This could be that you are working with the same supplier and want to share best practice ideas; or you want to be introduced to experts on a range of relevant topics; or you want to address a very specific issue, for example, integrating AI into your learning systems, or improving learner engagement. If there is no common purpose there is no core to hold the group together and to encourage members to keep coming back.

By having a clear structure and time delineation, members know what to expect and are familiar with the format, making it easier to contribute. The structure doesn’t need be totally rigid but without a planned framework the networking has no direction. The time required should be acceptable and rigorously observed. Typically, 60 minutes seems to work for most people. This is most easily accommodated online of course and must be hosted well.

By offering regular sessions, members of the networking group will block off the required time in their calendars. They will protect and prioritise the event when they believe in its value. And if events are well spaced out, they will value them even more. A regular time slot also means people focus on and look forward to it; this has huge advantages over the ‘always on’ networking alternative.

The Dolphin Forum

I’ve spent many years talking with and working alongside learning and development professionals, and part of my networking with learning and development colleagues is based on the work I have done in setting up our Dolphin Forum. The purpose of this networking group is to encourage our own customers to network with each other - we genuinely want our customers to talk to one another. They learn from one another, and we also learn from them. In addition to giving our customers slots to present for themselves, we also provide the opportunity for one of our Sound Advice podcast experts to speak too. It’s just for fifteen minutes, so not long at all. But it’s sufficient for our experts to share some key insights and whet appetites. Our customers exchange information with the invited guests and ask questions. It’s hugely popular.

We asked members of the Dolphin Forum what they liked about the networking group. Here’s what they told us:

    • It’s a time-limited dive into a topic with colleagues and a subject matter expert

    • It’s an opportunity to share experiences with a diverse range of L&D colleagues

    • I love the morale boost from realising you’re not alone!

    • I enjoy exploring new insights with colleagues and hearing their opinions

    • It’s an opportunity to ask questions in a friendly, interactive session

    • I derive enjoyment from hanging out with other L&D professionals

    • Gives the chance to provide suggestions and feedback to the learning content provider

    • I get first hand, advance information about new topics and forthcoming titles

    • Helps me keep up to date on the latest topics relating to L&D

    • Great to meet new people and podcast guests, enabling connection afterwards

    • It prompts food for thoughts - triggers ideas that I can develop and use in my work.

What do you think? Have your say.

I’d love to know what you think about networking in L&D. What works for you? What groups do you recommend and why? You can reach me on LinkedIn (contact details below). Thank you.


Catherine de Salvo
1 February 2025

You can contact Catherine at catherine@scottbradbury.co.uk or via LinkedIn

For a free trial of WATCH & GO® resources on networking, collaboration and much more, please go to: https://www.scottbradbury.co.uk/free-trial/

Scott Bradbury WATCH & GO® resources that are relevant to this article:

Internal Networking

Making New Connections

Meaningful Collaboration

Collaboration at Work

Being Curious