You may call it networking I’d call it butting in.!

There seems to be a new trend occurring at networking meetings, well to be honest it may not be new at all just that we haven’t really noticed before as it’s been a while for us since attending some networking meetings.

What we’re referring to, is the apparent ignorance of some people at networking meetings who seem to think that they have a right to barge into the middle of a conversation without even a “sorry” or “excuse me”.

One example while attending a networking event in the middle of Birmingham only last week, saw us talking to someone we’d never met before and we were engaging in polite chit chat as you do.

Someone we knew came over and shook our hands, so that they didn’t feel left out we introduced them to who we were talking to – when at which point they turned their back on us positioning themselves between us and the person who we were talking to in the first instance.

For all of you who read and take note of body language, will know that such actions provide a clear indicator of: - being snubbed, no interest, unconsciously shunning.

So in your view would such an action if done to you display total Ignorance? Or would it display Desperation?

One thing perhaps it seems to scream from the roof tops, is the morals and perceived ethics of networking is somewhat lacking from their business acumen.

Another example only happened a week before the one described above, when whilst we were at an evening networking event talking to someone we hadn’t spoken to for a while, during which in deep conversation someone tapped the back of the person we were talking to and proceeded to have a full blown conversation with them - again without a “sorry” or “excuse me”.

In our view this is totally rude and by their action could be viewed as them not giving a “flying fig” for anyone else bare themselves, which is fine if that is the case, but please do not pretend and hide under the networking guise of comradeship?

The thing which can be hard to come to terms with is…! Why such people would think that they are better positioned to rudely interrupt a conversation which they can quite clearly see that they are not party to, nor do they make any attempt to be party to.

What’s wrong with tapping on the back of the person saying “excuse me” and then saying “when you’ve got five minutes I’d like to speak with you “

To ask you a question, you as a business person, would you consider this action fair and just or does a business somehow have to be better positioned to not receive such treatment - or would you consider that it’s fair to do on to others as they do on to you?

We ask this question for no other reason than to make you think…!

There is a saying “be careful; who you step on, on the way up, as you may meet them again on the way back down”

Such actions do not really affect us, as we know they’re part of everyday business actions, for some reason unless it’s not a recent trend change we didn’t quite realise how blatant some people are in their lack of contempt for others.