‘On The Couch’ With Jasminda:

DEAR Jasminda,

I’VE just been told of my success in getting a new job. While I’m thrilled, part of it involves networking.

Not only do I hate large social gatherings, I also have trouble remembering people’s names.

I’m considering declining the job offer.

Larry C.

DEAR Larry,

SOCIAL anxiety can be debilitating and can result in numerous behaviours, including shunning the limelight and becoming an obscure agony aunt for a local paper.

While I’m not suggesting this is your particular affliction, it could be, and it may be why you dislike networking. Alternatively, it could be because you detest the sensory overload of being surrounded by nattering people wearing lanyards and ill-fitting suits in a conference room with Jackson Pollock-style carpet and flickering fluorescent lights. And you hate it even more when one of those people comes up to you, arm extended for a power handshake, before spending the next 15 minutes talking about the weather and/or the traffic and then doing a deep-dive into the problematic intersection of digital nomadism and corporate governance, the whole time seemingly unaware of the parsley sprig lodged between his front teeth.

Larry, my suggestion is to do what everyone else does.

First, head to the pre-meeting wine bar (or avail yourself of your accommodation’s minibar) and/or practise the art of the tilted-head nod and the ‘is that Veronica from Melbourne at the canapé table? It is! Please excuse me,’ exit strategy.

As for remembering people’s names, the easiest way is to use their name frequently during initial discussions, and then come up with an association.

You need to be careful with this, though.

If a person’s name is Tom and your association is Jones, don’t accidentally call him David after the department store when you next meet.

Even worse, don’t go up to him, clear your throat, and burst into ‘My, my, my Delilah.’

Carpe diem,

Jasminda.