The theme ideas are endless. For example, if the company was experiencing high absenteeism due to employee illness, the networking club could promote a series of wellness and preventative health events.

Likewise, suppliers could be invited to a club event to educate employees and customers on the role they play in the critical day-to-day operations of the company.

“Organizations providing networking opportunities for new and existing employees is a great idea because these opportunities contribute to the fostering of a sense of belonging that most people seek and value,” says Sal Seminara, business advisor with Seneca College Centre for Entrepreneurship.

Corporate networking clubs existed in a prehistoric way as company social clubs. By applying an entrepreneurial 21st century twist to it, it becomes an organized gathering filled with education, internal company networking, information giving and receiving! That’s a whole lot of synergy within four walls.

Traditionally, social clubs would organize events such as picnics, year-end and retirement parties. Networking clubs take it several notches higher, allowing employees, suppliers and other stakeholders an opportunity to connect with each other both on a personal and a professional level.

The goals of starting and maintaining a networking club within an organization should be clearly defined to everyone right from the onset. The following could be some examples of such goals:

1. Meet different people within the organization in order to place a name to a face.
2. Educate yourself on different topics through qualified and reputable speakers.
3. Make yourself visible and known to others within the corporation.
4. Get ideas that can help you in your job or in your life.
5. Give ideas that can help others in their jobs or in their lives.
6.  Promote yourself as an individual, not as an employee, and get to know others you work with in a more authentic, neutral setting.
7. Have fun.

“People often exit organizations for reasons of lack of fit,” says Seminara. “Many organizations do a good job qualifying employees for fit from a competency standpoint, but not many organizations do a good job qualifying employees for fit from a cultural standpoint.”

The culture of an organization needs to be nurtured in order to maintain high motivational levels and lift the spirit.

To be most effective, executive management should participate in club events. The corporation can sponsor the events in full or in part, allowing employees to take accountability as well. Sessions could be held in the evening as after-hour programs or in the morning or midday as breakfast or lunch sessions.

More affordable programs can be hosted on site, but with a higher budget, an off-site location would be a more neutral environment to promote this connectivity within the organization.

Ideally, the deployment of a networking club should be professionally managed by an outsourced company under the direction of the corporation. This would benefit the company by saving the company time and resources to put together and maintain a project of this kind, and ensuring continuity regardless of day-to-day corporate deadlines.

Many people are networking today outside their company (at the company’s expense). Why not consider starting a club within your own organization? You may be pleasantly surprised on how affordable it can be for the value outcome that it will provide.

_{• Mary E. Fenuta, CEO of Passionately Inspired Solutions, has over 20 years management experience in the corporate environment. She is currently working on launching a series of inspirational networking clubs across Toronto and the GTA.  To learn more, visit www.PassionatelyInspiredSolutions.com.}