It’s Not What You Know, It’s Who You Know

Face-to-face networking for Sussex business owners who value real connections.

This is a phrase usually associated with privilege – schooling, old boys’ network, class systems etc. It was quoted to me recently and I was surprised that it triggered such an emotional response in me.

The phrase came up in a conversation at The Dynamic Awards recently. The host, Cally Beaton recalled her time spent as the only woman in the ITV boardroom. That was a great event, a room full of people celebrating success in business. On this occasion, the people being celebrated are all women. It was an inspiring and reflective evening with many of my contacts being celebrated – congratulations to everyone involved including Emma Cleary, Lara Squires, Dr Carole Gilling and Chamiah Dewey for well-deserved nominations.

But the use of the phrase that sparked the emotional response came up during a discussion with a friend. Someone who himself has been seen as an outsider from time to time having left his homeland at the age of 15 and travelled the world, settling here in England over 30 years ago.

So, why did this phrase trigger me? I enjoy many privileges but the Eton, Oxbridge background is not one of them.  Early in my career I was surrounded by peers who, as in-house lawyers, had followed the usual path to their position as General Counsel in their organisations. A private education, law degree from a Russell group university and then an introduction through family or university alumni connections. Of course, the Anglo-Saxon nature of my name meant that I was not excluded from recruitment processes because of race or ethnicity like others unfairly excluded from processes. Should we make it normal that CVs are anonymised to remove bias?? There are certain factions that undoubtedly would still label this as undesirable DEI policy and seek to banish these practices!

What I was faced with was either indirect or direct criticism of my route to qualification. I qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive. Judgements made by recruiters and hiring managers meant that I would be excluded at the earliest stages. I recall being asked if I was really a lawyer, asked to provide a paper explaining the nature of the qualification and its legal standing. I think this probably made me a little ‘chippy’ as a younger version of myself!

Back to the present though, the conversation with my friend brought about two very clear points of recognition:

1. The phrase is 100% right.

But not necessarily elitism; I work very hard to meet new people and am genuinely interested in their journeys. It is only by forming bonds with people and building trust that you can then be considered for the privilege of providing legal support. Wendy Bell captured this perfectly when she called me and said, “we were looking for advisers that we know, like and trust and that was you”.

1. The phrase is 100% wrong.

What you know is the be all and end all. If you do not add value in the engagements with clients, then you cannot expect to hold a position as a trusted advisor. We do not want to engage only on a single transaction. The value in any relationship is its longevity during which you get to understand the goals and aspirations of the business you support, and satisfaction is ultimately achieved when these are delivered for the client.

My conclusion then is that it is important to be open and inquisitive, to meet new people but also to work hard to find out about what motivates them, what is happening in their business and lives and to be generous with the time it takes to do so.

People will agree and disagree with elements here; my thoughts and reactions are based on my experience and my own prejudices. Even so, I’d love to hear other perspectives…

Written by Aiden Dunning, Cripps