Whether approaching strangers at networking events, accepting praise and credit for your own achievements or asking someone for help, you need a healthy dose of courage to network effectively. 

Overcome your fears by rationalising them. Ask yourself what is holding you back in each scenario and what is the realistic downside of your intended action....and what is the potential upside. 

Share your fears with your network so that they can support and encourage you, as well as hold you accountable for doing what you know is important. 

It wouldn't be networking without connecting but remember - connecting is not enough! Connect with people with whom you have a rapport, with whom you have something in common and who are in a position to help you, educate you and influence on your behalf. 

And connect to those who you are in a position to help, educate and advocate for. 

Most importantly, connect the people around you. Take yourself out of the equation and ask yourself who do you know who needs to be introduced to other people in your network? How can you leverage the true potential of your network on behalf of everyone connected to it? 

Believe in yourself and what you bring to the table. If you can't have confidence in your abilities, how can you expect anyone else to? 

Work out the image you want to portray and be consistent with that brand in whatever you do and with whomever you interact, whether online or face to face. 

It always amazes me how competition seems to trump collaboration, even within organisations. We can achieve so much more working together than battling against each other. 

Taking collaboration to new levels, competitive companies can break through barriers when they work with each other to innovate and create new solutions. 

Create new relationships and allow those new relationships help you to create new opportunities, new ideas and to find new solutions. 

Concentrate on the person to whom you're speaking. Don't focus on your watch, on the next opportunity or even just on formulating your answer to what they are saying. Pay them the respect of giving them all of your attention.

Create strong content to share with your network and invite them to engage with and share it. It's a great way to both stay in touch with people and also to enable them to bring other people into your conversation. 

Forgive me! I rarely mention the mighty Charlton Athletic FC in these pages but I believe that a video that turned up this week merits inclusion.

One of Charlton's January signings, Tony Watt, made his name as a teenager when he scored for Glasgow Celtic against Spanish giants Barcelona. That goal prompted this remarkable tribute by 'The Thai Tims'. 

Fortunately Watt's scoring instincts seem to have travelled with him to South London and updated tributes are, of course, welcomed!