In today’s world, we receive information from many sources such as cell phones, computers, emails, and podcasts.
While we have access to more information than ever before, the truth is that human connection is more valuable than anything digital for personal and professional growth.
These strategies will help you become more comfortable with making those personal/professional connections:
Network Without an Agenda: One of the best pieces of advice is to focus on real-life connections instead of digital ones. Meet people at the office, events, and any chance you get. Don’t focus on where the connection can lead or look for specific information about someone. Be open to hearing how someone got to where they are now in their career or life path; even what brought them to the same event you’re attending. Keeping an open-mind allows for the conversation to go anywhere but stagnant.
For instance, Dr. Nicola attends events to meet new people. Once, while traveling to Texas, she met someone who worked in Silicon Valley. As a result, she presented at a global conference thanks to that connection. Instead of looking at her phone, she chose to talk with the person sitting next to her. Many jobs she secured came through personal recommendations, showing the power of networking.
Build Meaningful Connections: Spend time and effort with the people you meet. This approach can lead to personal and professional opportunities. Be willing to listen to their story and willing to share your story and/or past experiences.
For example, Atrice Moore, financial writer at BlackRock and stretch therapist, met Nicol through her work. Atrice shared her background, they exchanged numbers, and they became LinkedIn contacts, keeping in touch often. This professional connection led to Atrice speaking to Nicol’s business class students about her networking experience and building meaningful connections that led her to where is she is now.
3. Self-Evaluation / Reflection: It’s helpful to re-evaluate what you learned from the connections you’ve made afterwards. Making sure to connect on LinkedIn with meaningful connections or any email addresses are saved is important before any time passes. This ensures the connections you made are easily accessible for future connections or even for coffee dates. Think about what you heard from others in your field or in another field and take note of any similarities or differences. This can help with addressing any areas of growth you want to tackle or even if you’d like to connect with someone in another field to get a sense of what keeps them
motivated.
Bottom line: Put the technology aside and focus on building genuine human
connections whenever possible.