The Power of Networking with Remote Teams

One of the first things I was told when I began working at GE was the importance of networking. Being an IMLP at GE Corporate allows for not only networking with your own business and region, but gives you exposure to all the GE businesses across the globe. I’ve been lucky enough to work with GE Capital in Portugal, GE Healthcare in the US, and GE Transportation in Germany, which allows me to meet and liaise with a diverse group of people with a wealth of knowledge.

I still remember the first thing that went through my head when I walked into the GE Corporate building in London for the first time – ‘wow, this office is small!’ I had previously worked for GE Capital and had been used to sitting in an office with over 100 other IT professionals, so when I entered a room with 4 desks and 1 window it definitely felt strange! From the start of my career in GE, the value of getting to know your colleagues and the emphasis on networking had been drilled into me, and I wondered to myself how this could be possible in such a tiny office.

Within 2 weeks of working in this office I had realized that networking does not have to be solely face to face. By utilizing some of the great tools GE offers us in our working life, I was able to meet and connect with people from all over the world. Telepresence videoconferencing is one of the most vital tools for this kind of activity [read more about Telepresence here]. It breaks the barriers of ‘putting a face to the voice’ and allows you to converse with people as if you were sitting next to them. It surprised me how much of an effect this would have on the relationships I was building across the business – it feels a lot more personable and I always encourage all my colleagues to use these technologies in their team meetings and other group discussions.

GE is trying to break down some of the roadblocks which come with building and maintaining a network remotely. Telepresence is only one example of this – having a profile picture on WebEx Connect (online work instant messaging system) and driving the use of webcams during my WebEx (online virtual) meetings are further illustrations. By implementing some of these techniques into my team (whether it be my direct reporting team, project team, or IMLP committee), the relationships I am building have become a lot more real… and at times humorous as well when you encounter someone who forgets they’re on video!

- Post by Dave Chapman, 2nd Rotation UK IMLP