CHAPTER 10
Tips for Navigating a Room Full of Strangers
by Amantha Imber
I hate the feeling of walking into a large conference hall and seeing a sea of strangers. Everyone seems to be having an amazing time, connecting with long-lost friends, whereas I feel like a social pariah. I’m always at a loss as to how I will infiltrate the crowd and find even one single person who might want to talk to me. If I do manage to find that person, I struggle with what to say. How do I keep the conversation going?
I’ve interviewed many experts for my podcast, How I Work, and they’ve suggested some very interesting (and practical) ways to get your way around networking. Here’s some advice on how to get better at it.
Look for Islands
Marissa King, professor of ...
Get HBR Guide to Smarter Networking (HBR Guide Series) now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.