Developing a Strong Network 2012 Professional Development Series 4-5-12.

Developing a Strong Network

2012 Professional Development Series

4-5-12

Strong Network

• Bigger is not necessarily better.• Meaningful connections.• Simply trading business cards is

NOT helpful.

Why

• Advice & Support• Warm Introductions• Project Partners

Creation of CYC

• CYC Team at OneCommunity• Lead Community Agencies

Q: How were principals chosen?A: The proposal writers’ networks.

Bill Callahan

Lynda Goff

Bart Gonzalez, CYC Corps Member at Lorain County Community College

Strengthen Existing Contacts

• Get to know people personally.• Pick up the phone.• Meet in person.• Be engaging in your digital

communications.

Strong Network Strategies

• Volunteer.• Join or start an affinity group (book

club, knitting club, gaming group).• Participate in work projects that

include partner organizations.• Engage in online discussions.• Go to events and really talk to

people!

Volunteer

• Organize an event. –Representing an organization.–On your own with a committee.

• Volunteer at an event.• Coordinate a project.

End Goal: You meeting and getting to know new people!

Affinity Group

• Expanding your network need not be limited to professional interests.

• To find a group, use Meetup.com, do a Google search, ask your network.

• http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/inclusion

• http://media-democracy.net/ (Sign up for email alerts.)

• LinkedIn Group – Community Technology Instructors & Managers

• Local listservs

Online Discussions

•Use an email signature with your org name, email and phone number.•Don’t assume others know anything about your organization or project.•Ask for advice.•Give advice, graciously.

Online Discussion Tips

Attend Events

Talk to people you do not know. •“How did you find this group?”•“Wow, its crowded, is this your first time here?”•“What a fabulous purse. Where did you find it?”

Professional Online Networking

Watch, Listen, Learn, Adapt

http://www.pyzam.com/funnypictures

Focus on Relationships

http://www.innocentenglish.com/funny-amazing-pictures-videos/cute-kitten-puppy-animal-pics/cute-animals-2.html

Be Genuine

Professional Online Networking

Network Building on LinkedIn

• Add new contacts regularly.• Post interesting status updates.• Write recommendations.• Join Groups.– Find those with real conversation.–Participate in the conversation. DO

NOT self promote.

Network Building on Facebook

• Connect to colleagues.• Mix personal and professional

posts.• Comment on others’ posts.• Be helpful.• Remove tags on photos you may

not want colleagues to see.

Network Building on Twitter

• Find others with similar interests.• Use at events.– Find hashtag of the event.– Follow interesting people using the

hashtag.–Participate in the conversation. Post

AND reply.– Find the other Twitter users DURING

the event.

Network Building on Twitter

• Professional username.• Mix personal and professional

posts.• Retweet. • Thoughtful conversation.

Time

• Concern: Already don’t have enough time with my family.

• Possible Solution: Find an activity that involves the family and also has you meeting new people.

• Concern: I don’t have time!• Possible Solution: Carefully choose

one new activity with defined time commitment.

This module was created by Connect Your Community, a project of OneCommunity, funded by the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program.

Creative Commons License

• This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0