Community is vital, as we move through our careers.Very few people would say they have reached senior or leadership positions through hard work alone. Being able to build connections and learn from peers is instrumental in personal and professional growth. While hard work, dedication and a flare for business is important, having a trustworthy sounding board is equally vital to long term success.
Finding a community in the business world is a very personal journey. You may find yourself part of many different communities that serve different purposes – the more the merrier! No one ever said – ‘I wish I hadn’t learned as much’ or, ‘I wish had fewer people to ask questions to’!
Here are three things to look out for when you are considering your next community membership:
A diverse group of people
Diversity takes many forms. Finding a group of people who can provide diverse opinions is very useful when you are asking questions, looking for advice or trying to develop your own ideas. Whether the community serves people across a range of job levels,sectors or specialisms, this can help you as you move through your career.
Aligned values with your business community
Community is all about sharing a common message or goal. This could be a value in learning or a value in enhancing careers of women in businessIt could even be a value in driving awareness of sustainable business for our planet. There is a community for everything! Whatever your core values and interests are, finding a professional community that shares these values can help ignite a fire of action! Great things happen through communities and collective action. Finding a group of people who share your goals can not only be inspiring, but be change making.
Give and take
The best communities will give members the change to share, collaborate and interact with other members. Finding a group where you feel motivated to support other members whilst supporting yourself will be even more rewarding in the long run. Getting involved in a smaller or developing community is also a great opportunity to help shape the initiatives that are available to the group. You are likely to find that business community founders or managers are always keen for a helping hand and as much participation as possible from members who want to get involved!
One thing is for sure, great things happen when people collaborate!
The development of women in business and into senior roles within agencies is a core value of Women in Agencies – if this is something you are also passionate about then why not join our community?