Making the Link

They say it’s not what you know, but who you know. IRM of course would argue that both are important. ‘What you know’, drives the lifelong learning that we set out to provide for our students and members. ‘Who you know’ is the basis of our professional network, allowing IRM members to connect with each other. 

Traditionally our networking has taken place face to face at our events: the annual Risk Forum and Lecture or meetings of our special interest or regional groups. Members can also contact each other via the discussion boards on our website. However, as a small but international organisation, we also keep an eye open for broader social and technological trends that have influenced how we interact professionally, or may do so in future.

The past few years have seen an explosive growth in social networking sites with Facebook now having over 124 million members worldwide and MySpace over 246 million. For the generation that has grown up with computers and web access, these sites are an integral and essential part of their social life. As long as the sites continue to provide value to their core audience of young users they will continue to grow, although recent hiccups have shown that this will mean keeping out intrusive commercialism and showing a proper respect for online privacy.

The business world has also developed online networks of its own. The most popular of these, LinkedIn, now has over 27 million members worldwide and has been busier than ever in recent weeks as new members have been joining and existing members updating their details, possibly in anticipation of having to look for a new job. As do real social networks, these virtual networks all have their own styles: if LinkedIn is the business suit, then Facebook is the after-work smart casual and MySpace is jeans and that T-shirt with your favourite band. Take your pick!

As a first step in exploring what these developments mean for us as a professional institute, IRM has recently set up a group on LinkedIn for IRM members. We hope that this will give members who wish to do so an extra way of making their existence and professional details, interests and capabilities available to other members. In turn we hope that this will help with making contacts, gaining advice and support, career development and business opportunities.

If you want to see what all this is about then start here: http://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynwilliamsirm

Carolyn Williams

Development Manager

The Institute of Risk Management

October 2008

This article first appeared in CIR Magazine