Networking has been defined as “a supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups having a common interest.” That doesn’t sound so bad, does it? Support? Sharing? Interests in common? Why then, do so many professionals shudder at the very mention of the word? And is networking that important? Are there ways to get better at it?

To get answers to these burning questions, I turned to attorney Jennifer Lynn Robinson, CEO and founder of “Purposeful Networking,” a speaker and networking trainer who presented at a recent event hosted by Women Owned Law at Post & Schell in Philadelphia.