Unit Introduction: Discovering Connections

What does community mean to you?

Have you ever experienced: 

• working productively and meaningfully with a committee member? 
• connecting with a colleague at a workshop and enjoying an energizing exchange?
• hearing from a community contact about an upcoming employment opportunity? 

The Discovering Connections unit involves identifying skills, knowledge, and attitudes, which help with creating a your professional community/network.

This unit consists of the following modules: 

• Exploring My Community,
• Connecting With Community, and 
• Nurturing My Community.

An entire unit is dedicated to community because it is that significant! There are three reasons. 

First, it is commonplace to obtain a new position through one’s community in the Canadian context. Jobs are known to be offered through referral and/or the hidden job market. 

Second, by creating and nurturing your community/network you will elevate your career, including staying current in your field.

Third, community can be a positive way to reframe networking. Even though some people have adverse reactions to networking, it is essentially interacting with people and sharing information. Perhaps the negative connotation is the perception that it is a one-sided, transactional, and superficial relationship.

If you haven't already done the Foundation: Professionalism and Communication module, we encourage you to go back to the Demonstrating Skills unit and complete it, as it provides important context to this unit.

Additionally, for those who consider themselves to be an internal processor (i.e., energy increases with conversations with one or two people and energy decreases in large groups), shy, or live with social anxiety, the thought of networking might be nightmarish or overwhelming. Whereas connecting with another individual, exchanging ideas, or helping someone on their journey can impart a more positive association.

Building your community is to engage effectively, sustainably, and appropriately with passion. Simultaneously, it is important to be strategic about the time you invest and be open to happenstance.

We strongly encourage you to watch the video below (opens in new window): 

Want to Network Better? Follow These 5 Tips From Master Connectors - 2:17 (Downes, 2019)

This unit is structured around the 5 Tips from the video: 

1. Play to your strengths.
2. Be open.
3. Ask good questions.
4. Be helpful.
5. Follow up.

The video was developed for entrepreneurs, however, the tips are applicable for anyone who wants to build their community/network. 

In the article Building a Network That Works Takes Work, Johnson (2011) shares her guiding principles for networking. Consider constructing your own guiding principles, adopting some of the principles from the video, or drawing on your values and beliefs to follow as you build your community/network.

Sidebar - we discuss quality connections, not quantity in the Nurturing My Community module.