Have you ever played dinner party cricket? The rules are simple. When talking to your neighbour at dinner, if you ask a question, you score a run. If they ask something, you lose a wicket. This is the heart of serious networking: it’s not about you, but all about them. Meeting other people is the best way to increase your knowledge, which I suppose is the same as saying that we have been given one mouth and two ears.

For many years, before lockdown intervened, Timpson welcomed several groups of executives who were part of a business tour organised by “Wavelength”. It was a pretty pure form of networking. The groups visited several businesses to gather ideas from acknowledged centres of excellence and, during the week, they also learnt a lot from their fellow delegates. Networking isn’t just a business form of speed dating; it’s the easiest way to obtain free research. Contact with other businesses is the cheapest (and often best) source of new ideas, and can be the easiest way to solve your biggest problems.

Networking is a long term activity. You can pick up a few ideas when meeting new people at a conference, but it can take a number of years for successful executives to gather the wide circle of like minded friends they turn to when stuck for an answer. It doesn’t work so well if the network is restricted to your own industry – there’s a limit to how much mutual help can occur between competitors. A network that includes a wide variety of trades and expertise will widen your knowledge about business.

When I handed over the reins of our business to my son, James, I became his main support and mentor. These days, however, I’m seldom needed. James has found a big circle of business friends who share their experiences and talk through problems. It’s an example of networking at its very best.

Sir John Timpson is chairman of the high-street services provider, Timpson.

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