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Networking at a standstill? Remember: “If you build it, they will come.”

7/13/2021

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Over the past few years, I have been neglecting my professional network. I also really miss my chats with some of my favorite work friends from years past. Between leaving the DC area, the demands of motherhood (goodbye, free time!), and leaving a large employer, I had not kept up with my work buddies. Many of them had new jobs and had made big life changes—and I had not so much as checked in! (Do Facebook comments count? Not so much.) I also did not have a great avenue for meeting new people and was craving an inspo injection—wanting to hear the latest and greatest from people I admire. 
 
I remembered the movie Field of Dreams. “If you build it, they will come.” 
 
And I built it. I set up a community of practice for my biggest area of focus, internal and employee communications. We meet every other month via Zoom, for an hour. At each meeting we hear from a speaker and then do some mixing and mingling. The format is simple, managing the group is simple, and I have reconnected with dozens of people I adore. It's a start at rebuilding my network, and it's been enriching.

I recycled the idea of a small community of practice, similar to one that I had been part of years back, and it’s a concept that anyone could replicate. In case you’re inspired, here’s what I learned, and a recipe to start your own group…

Tips for starting a community of practice

  1. Set your scope – In the world of “comms professionals,” this group is focused on internal and employee comms. Just one slice of the pie. We also have some graphic designers and event planners in the mix.
  2. Define the purpose – My initial goals for creating this group were to have a forum for benchmarking, ideas sharing, and easy networking. We revisit the goals informally at each meeting, to make sure the time is well spent. 
  3. Start small – I wanted to keep the group small as we were in start-up mode. Our initial group was about two dozen people. We have about half of that number in attendance at each meeting. To create the list, I about spent 10 minutes clicking through my LinkedIn contacts, drafted a list of people who might be interested, and invited that group to join as inaugural members. Since then our inaugural members have shared the invite with friends. The group is already growing. With intention. 
  4. Keep it simple – Our meeting format is quite simple. One hour, every other month. Half of the meeting is a presentation on a cool thing (we rotate speakers), and the remainder is for sharing wants and needs. (Also noteworthy: If you set up your own group, you can pick meeting times that work for you!)
 
Have you ever set up or managed a group like this? What tips do you have?
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What is the big deal about virtual teams?

12/6/2010

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As my workplace moves to a dispersed model, that is, where it's likely you won't be co-located with your manager or teammates, I have been thinking a lot about why this change will take adjustment. There's a lot of angst about this change, and what I hear is that my colleagues are very concerned they won't be able to maintain and build relationships at work -- if we don't sit together and see each other regularly. There's fear that we will become disconnected.

As someone who spends a lot of my work day in front of the computer and on the phone (vs. in in-person meetings), I have been thinking about "what's the difference?" I have a conclusion: it's about the quantity of signals we're used to getting from one another...and about how we'll be receiving them.

In mostly in-person meetings and interactions in the hallways, elevators, and kitchens, we're accustomed to taking in signals from all of our senses. We get to hear if someone has a cold (can't tell this in email), we get to smell their perfume (doesn't it say a lot about a person?), we see the expressions on their face and all the non verbals. We also see what they are wearing, and that data helps us make assessments that they are "artsy," or "conservative," or maybe connected to someone who buys them lots of quirky ties?

In any case, this is data. This is the kind of data on which we build conversations...or at least "small talk." This same data doesn't come through email. It doesn't come through instant messenger, and it might not transmit a conference call.

In a surround-sound and blue ray world, we are worried that our human interactions are going from high def to...could it be...analog?

I can see why this is causing stress. But, the answers lie in the virtual world...We used to receive signals that provided insights into a colleague's personality or interests simply by sharing the same physical space. We can still access this information, but it requires research. We'll need to spend more time leveraging technology, such as IM and webcams. We'll also need to mine the internet. See who is on Yammer, who is blogging, what your colleagues say on LinkedIN. What they post on Facebook. It's all out there...we just need to adjust how we receive the signals.

Conversion Strategies For Moving To A Dispersed Work Environment

Past: Pictures on your desk to show your team that you love to ski, have a dog and two kids, and went to VA Tech
Future: Facebook posts and photos for work and personal friends

Past: Snazzy ties and crisply-ironed shirts with monogrammed cuff links; we know you are a snazzy dresser
Future: Don't worry. The webcam will pick up your sense of style

Past: The cup of tea you'd prepare in the kitchen at 4 PM got you over the afternoon slump and allowed for some quick networking with colleagues
Future: You can still have tea and coffee breaks with colleagues. Find them on IM and ask if they have a minute for a quick call. They will likely welcome the break
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