Why Your Internal Networking Game is Probably Worse Than Your LinkedIn Strategy

The bloke in accounting who everyone loves? He didn't get there by being the Excel wizard. Sarah from marketing who somehow knows what's happening in IT before the IT manager does? She's not psychic. They've just figured out what 67% of Australian professionals haven't - that your internal network is worth more than your external one.

I've been consulting with businesses across Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth for the past 16 years, and I can tell you this much: the people who master internal networking aren't necessarily the most talented. They're just the ones who understand that relationships inside your organisation are the difference between thriving and surviving.

Read More Here:

• Emotional Intelligence for Managers
• Handling Office Politics

Let's get something straight right off the bat. Internal networking isn't about schmoozing or playing politics. It's about building genuine relationships with people who can make your work life easier, your projects more successful, and your career trajectory steeper. And if you think it's manipulative, you're missing the point entirely.

Most people approach internal networking like they're at a wedding reception - awkward small talk by the coffee machine and avoiding eye contact in lifts. Wrong approach. Completely wrong.

The Coffee Cart Myth (And Why It's Rubbish)

Everyone talks about networking at the coffee cart or during smoke breaks. But here's the thing - those random encounters are just the appetiser. Real internal networking happens when you're solving problems together, sharing knowledge, and creating value for each other.

I remember working with a client in Sydney - let's call them BigCorp Australia - where the most connected person in the building was actually the facilities manager. Why? Because he helped everyone. Need a meeting room at short notice? He sorted it. Office too cold? Fixed within an hour. Printer playing up? Done and dusted.

The guy wasn't networking in the traditional sense. He was just bloody useful. And that made him indispensable.

The Three Types of Internal Networkers

The Collectors: These people know everyone but add value to no one. They're like human LinkedIn profiles - lots of connections, zero substance. They'll gladly take your time but won't return the favour.

The Transactional Types: Everything's a trade with these folks. "I'll help you with this project if you support my budget proposal." It works short-term but burns bridges faster than a bushfire in summer.

The Builders: These are the gold standard. They create genuine relationships based on mutual respect and shared goals. They help without keeping score and somehow always end up being the first to know about opportunities, changes, and challenges.

Guess which category actually gets promoted?

Why Most Internal Networking Training is Garbage

I've sat through more networking workshops than I care to remember, and most of them are about as useful as a chocolate teapot. They focus on surface-level tactics - "remember people's names," "ask about their weekend," "send follow-up emails."

That's not networking. That's just being polite.

Real internal networking starts with understanding that every person in your organisation has knowledge, influence, or resources that could help you do your job better. And vice versa.

The finance team knows which departments have budget left over. The admin staff know when senior management is stressed and when they're approachable. The IT help desk knows which systems are about to be upgraded or replaced.

This isn't insider trading - it's just being plugged in.

The Melbourne Method (What Actually Works)

I developed this approach after watching a mid-level manager at a Melbourne-based manufacturing company work his way up to regional director in three years. Not through brown-nosing or politics, but through what I call strategic helpfulness.

Step 1: Map Your Ecosystem Draw a simple diagram of who you interact with regularly, occasionally, and never. Include people from other departments, other floors, other buildings if your company has them. Now identify who influences decisions that affect your work.

Step 2: Become Genuinely Useful This isn't about doing everyone's job for them. It's about leveraging your unique knowledge, skills, or position to help others achieve their goals. You're in sales? Help marketing understand what objections you're hearing. You're in operations? Give the strategy team real-world feedback on their plans.

Step 3: Create Information Loops Share relevant information freely and openly. If you hear about a training opportunity that might interest someone, pass it along. If you spot a potential problem that affects another department, give them a heads up.

Most people hoard information like it's going out of style. Smart networkers understand that information shared is influence gained.

The Brisbane Mistake (Why Location Still Matters)

Even in our supposedly connected digital workplace, physical proximity matters enormously. I worked with a company that had teams split between Brisbane and Sydney, and the Brisbane folks consistently felt out of the loop despite video calls and shared systems.

The Sydney team was having those crucial corridor conversations, the impromptu "quick question" chats, and the post-meeting debriefs that actually shape decisions. The Brisbane team was getting the official version of everything - which is usually sanitised and often incomplete.

If you're working remotely or in a satellite office, you need to work twice as hard to stay connected. Regular check-ins aren't enough. You need to create reasons for people to include you in their informal communications.

The Personality Trap

Here's an unpopular opinion: being an introvert doesn't excuse you from internal networking. Some of the best internal networkers I know are quiet, thoughtful people who prefer one-on-one conversations to group settings.

They just do it differently. Instead of working the room at company social events, they have coffee catch-ups. Instead of speaking up in large meetings, they follow up with key stakeholders individually. Instead of being the life of the party, they become the person others trust with sensitive information.

The extroverted approach gets more attention, but the introverted approach often gets better results.

What Telstra Actually Gets Right (And Why It Matters)

I'll give credit where it's due - Telstra's internal mentoring programs create natural networking opportunities without the forced awkwardness of traditional networking events. When you're paired with someone from a different division to work on a specific project or challenge, you're building a relationship with purpose.

Most companies run networking events that feel like speed dating - artificial, rushed, and ultimately superficial. The smart organisations create structured opportunities for people to collaborate across departments and levels.

The Perth Problem (Geographic Isolation in Action)

Perth's isolation from the east coast creates unique challenges for internal networking in national companies. I've seen Perth-based employees consistently overlooked for opportunities simply because they're not physically present for the informal conversations where decisions really get made.

If you're in a similar situation - whether it's Perth, a regional office, or just working from home most days - you need to be more intentional about staying visible and connected.

Schedule regular virtual coffee chats. Contribute meaningfully to team communications. When you are in the office, make those interactions count.

The Authenticity Question

"But isn't this all a bit fake?" That's the question I get most often when teaching internal networking skills. And the answer is: it depends entirely on your approach and motivation.

If you're networking purely for personal gain, then yes, it's fake and people will sense it. But if you genuinely want to contribute to your organisation's success while building your own career, then it's just smart relationship building.

The difference is in the giving-to-getting ratio. The best internal networkers give far more than they receive, at least initially. They build up relationship capital that they can draw on when they need it.

Why the C-Suite Doesn't Get It

Senior executives often dismiss internal networking as office politics because they've forgotten what it's like to need information, resources, or support from people who don't report to them.

When you're the CEO, people return your calls immediately and answer your questions thoroughly. When you're a mid-level manager, you need to earn that responsiveness through relationship building.

I've seen companies where the senior leadership team is completely disconnected from what's actually happening on the ground because they've forgotten how to network internally. They rely on formal reporting structures and wonder why they're always surprised by problems that everyone else saw coming.

The Generation Gap

Millennials and Gen Z workers often approach internal networking differently than their older colleagues. They're more comfortable with digital communication but sometimes struggle with the face-to-face relationship building that still matters enormously in most organisations.

Conversely, Baby Boomers and Gen X professionals are often brilliant at building in-person relationships but miss opportunities to stay connected through digital channels.

The most effective internal networkers combine both approaches seamlessly.

Your 90-Day Action Plan

Forget the theory. Here's what you actually need to do:

Week 1-2: Map your current internal network. Identify gaps and opportunities.

Week 3-6: Start one meaningful conversation per week with someone you don't normally interact with. Ask about their challenges and see how you might help.

Week 7-10: Begin sharing information and resources that might benefit others. Don't wait to be asked.

Week 11-12: Assess what's working and what isn't. Adjust your approach based on results, not theory.

The key is consistency over intensity. Better to have one genuine conversation per week for a year than to network frantically for a month and then stop.

The Adelaide Advantage

Smaller cities like Adelaide often provide better internal networking opportunities because the business community is more tightly connected. You're more likely to run into colleagues outside work, and professional relationships often extend into social circles.

This can be an advantage or a disadvantage depending on how you handle it. The advantage is that relationships tend to be deeper and longer-lasting. The disadvantage is that mistakes and poor behaviour have longer memories.

What Most People Get Wrong About Office Politics

Office politics and internal networking are not the same thing, despite what people think. Politics is about power - who has it, who wants it, and how it's used. Networking is about relationships - who knows what, who can help whom, and how information flows.

Good internal networkers often stay completely out of office politics by maintaining positive relationships with people across different factions and levels of the organisation.

The Future of Internal Networking

With remote work, AI tools, and changing organisational structures, internal networking is evolving rapidly. The fundamentals remain the same - building genuine relationships based on mutual value - but the methods are changing.

Virtual networking requires more intentionality. You can't rely on chance encounters and casual conversations. You need to create structured opportunities to connect with colleagues.

The Bottom Line

Internal networking isn't optional anymore. It's a core professional skill, like communication or problem-solving. You can choose to develop it intentionally or let it happen by chance, but you can't ignore it entirely without limiting your career prospects.

The organisations that thrive are the ones where information flows freely, problems get solved collaboratively, and opportunities are shared widely. That doesn't happen by accident - it happens because people throughout the organisation understand the value of building internal relationships.

Start tomorrow. Pick one person you don't know well but should. Find a reason to have a conversation that creates value for both of you.

Your future self will thank you for it.