05/06/2026
The internal networking event is on your calendar.
You almost don’t go.
You already have plenty to do.
You know a few people there.
And if you’re honest, you’re not entirely sure what you’re supposed to get out of it.
So you show up.
Grab a drink.
Talk to a few people.
Exchange a few pleasantries.
Then head back to your real work.
Sound familiar?
Most people approach internal networking events as relationship-building opportunities.
And relationships matter.
But there is often something even more valuable available.
Organizational intelligence.
Every person in that room sees a different part of the business than you do.
Different priorities.
Different pressures.
Different challenges.
Different interpretations of what success looks like.
Different views of where the company is heading.
The question isn’t:
“Who should I meet?”
The more useful question is:
“What don’t I understand about this organization yet?”
What are people worried about?
What keeps coming up?
What seems harder than leadership is saying?
What seems more important than it was six months ago?
What are successful people paying attention to?
Those conversations build something much bigger than a network.
They expand your Catbird Seat View.
And the broader your understanding of how the organization actually works, the easier it becomes to:
align your work
anticipate priorities
build trust
and position yourself for what’s next.
The contact may be useful.
The insight is often far more valuable.
