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Tag: Networking

Networking naturally through volunteerism

Tourism Toronto President & CEO Johanne Bélanger

Introverts, exhale…

Schmoozing at networking events isn’t the only means to building meaningful relationships that can advance your career.

Case in point:Tourism Toronto President & CEO Johanne Bélanger has more than 2000 global LinkedIn contacts, each whom she has been personally acquainted with on some level. Of course, it helps that she is self-assured and effortlessly extroverted, but she credits her ever-growing network of diverse professional contacts—and much of her career success—to volunteering.

“Although people may come from different backgrounds and walks of lives, when they volunteer or sit on a board, they are there to fulfill the organization’s mission which provides them with a source of commonality from which to start having discussions and networking,”she explained.

No stranger to working pro bono, Johanne has donated her time and energy to numerous charity and industry boards throughout her career. Most notably, she served on the Board of Directors for Tourism Toronto for six years beginning in 2009, before eventually being hired to run the entire association in 2015…

“When I initially joined the Tourism Toronto board, the goal, in addition to delivering on Tourism Toronto’s mission, was to put my previous company at the forefront of people’s minds, and make connections that might eventually generate business for the organization,” she said. “Ultimately, through volunteering, I was exposed to a network of people that I would not have had the opportunity of connecting with under normal circumstances.”

Improve networking proficiency

In fact, Johanne’s social skills likely improved greatly over the years due to her willingness to volunteer.

Though most volunteers become involved with charitable or non-profit organizations for altruistic reasons, most agree they have received substantial benefits themselves, according to a Statistics Canada study. Many stated that their volunteer activities had given them a chance to develop new skills.

For example, the report noted, 64 per cent of volunteers surveyed said their interpersonal skills had improved, and per cent said their volunteer experiences had given them better communications skills, which can certainly come in handy when mingling with the head of human resources at the next company Christmas party.

Make it personal

Just to be clear, no one is suggesting that you volunteer for the sole reasons of expanding your rolodex or peddling yourself or your services. People can sense when you’re being disingenuous.

Tactics like self-promotion and ingratiation can backfire, Harvard Business Review points out. Moreover, trying to anticipate what will impress another person “increases your anxiety and makes you feel inauthentic,” the publication states.

Many of the professional connections Johanne has made through her volunteering initiatives have actually impacted her personal growth (and vice versa) by becoming unofficial mentors, coaches, subject matter experts, and close friends.

“Being yourself and being authentic when you meet people is probably the number one piece of advice I can give,” she said. “You have to connect with people on a human and authentic level for your relationships to truly evolve.”

Networking in the 6ix: My triple-threat advantage

Still high off the motivational vibes from last Saturday’s Avanti Women’s Career and Networking Expo, I gained much more than I had bargained for with what I’ve coined my triple-threat advantage : the priceless opportunity to receive coaching from, and ask questions to, three influential and fascinating female professionals, each successful in her own right, on her own terms.

Giving forward

Avanti Women identifies itself as an organization that “gives forward,” due to its numerous charitable initiatives and, more importantly, its mission to move women forward professionally and personally.

It wouldn’t be the Avanti Women way (nor would it be very thoughtful of me) to hoard my newly-attained leadership knowledge for myself. So in the spirit of giving forward, I’m sharing the top three insights I gained from my experience at Avanti Women’s annual event.

Karen Elkin

1. We create our reality through our perception. Karen Elkin, certified leadership coach and workshop facilitator at Karen Elkin Leadership, hosted a workshop about energy leadership for career development. She taught us that we can affect positive change in ourselves and others through self awareness and mindfulness.

“If you look at people through the eyes of compassion versus judgment, you will see them differently,” she explained. “Similarly, they will feel your shift in energy and respond accordingly.”

Cher Jones

2. When it comes to personal branding, a “mullet” is never in style. Cher Jones, social media trainer at Socially Active, gave the ladies a lesson in online personal-brand management. She strongly advised us to Google our names to see what information the public can view, and then audit our social media pages to control the message.

This isn’t to say that we can’t show off our fun and fabulous personalities, Cher assured us. In fact, she noted, displaying a healthy mix of our professional and personal lives makes us appear more trustworthy in the eyes of employers and clients—but we must find the right balance.

Having an uber-professional LinkedIn page simultaneously online with a Girls Gone Wild-esque Facebook profile is “the mullet of personal branding: all business on the top, and a party in the back!” she joked. “You can show that you’re a real person with an exciting life, but professionalism must ring throughout.”

Lissette Edward

3. Make sure your personal brand is in line with your values. Marketing and communications leader Lissette Edward facilitated a personal branding Goddess Lean-In Circle. Through guided discussions, she assisted a small group of women in determining our unique personal brands. She also shared her own journey in crafting her brand.

“If you’re not confident in your personal brand, you will start doubting yourself,” she warned. “You must be able to say to yourself, ‘this is my brand essence, and it will guide all of my professional interactions.’”

…So back to that dreaded N word (a reality check from last week’s post)

The good news is that, by attending Avanti Women’s annual event, I developed a diverse range of solid, applicable leadership skills from three inspirational women that I will practice in my career going forward.

Not so impressive is that, including the friend who accompanied me to the expo (and a couple volunteers I asked for directions), I probably “networked” with about six other women, only two with whom I exchanged business cards.

But I’m starting to understand that that’s not the point…

I get the feeling if I keep showing up—which, in fact, proved to be the hardest part of the Avanti Women eventand showing a genuine interest in professional development and intriguing people, networking will get easier and more natural, and conversations and connections will occur organically with like-minded professionals.

Fortunately, with my triple-threat advantage, I’m armed with new knowledge and a little more courage to face networking situations with confidence and grace.

Embracing the N word

Whenever I hear the N word, I cringe. I actually get a little sick to my stomach.

Networking can be very intimidating, especially when the most social part of my workday as a self-employed writer is that convivial conversation with the Starbucks barista, in which she rambles off my meticulously-customized latte from memory—but can never seem to recall my first name.

Networking in the 6ix

Click to enlarge

I wasn’t looking for a networking event to attend when I discovered Avanti Women online. While doing my due diligence by researching the association’s website before applying to fill its vacancy for a volunteer position, I learned (among other things) that Avanti Women was hosting its third-annual career and networking expo in just a few weeks.

A little intrigued, I emailed the info address with some questions about the expo. Within hours, the organization’s founder, Dina Barazza, called me back. She not only answered my questions about the expo; she asked me questions about myself and my goals. And then she did something that totally blew my mind: she asked me if I’d like to meet for coffee!

One on one with Dina

Dina Barazza

We met last Monday evening at my office. Dina was gregarious, genuine and humorous, with a little bit of a potty mouth. We had a few chuckles, and then I asked her to tell me her story.

“When I look back at my career, mainly the in corporate environment, over the last 25 years, it was a struggle,” she shared. “I would get home and ask my mother, ‘What am I doing wrong?’ ‘What do I have to do to get noticed?’”

Her mother’s response was, “Avanti! Avanti!” which, in Italian, means, “move forward” or “stay positive.” But despite Dina’s positive attitude, she continued to face rejection and couldn’t find the nurturing she needed from her colleagues to help her reach the next steps in her career.

“I realized, OK, I’m going to have to figure this out on my own,” Dina continued. “And with that, the Avanti Women’s recipe for success was born: networking, mentoring, and learning. All three of those ingredients were critical success factors in my career world.”

She and I also discussed my business goals to great lengths, and she was adamant that I can—and must—learn to network to achieve my professional objectives. I later learned, after our meeting, that Dina is widely known by many GTA business professionals as a “networking guru.”

Who am I to argue about networking with a guru?

Needless to say I was sold on the value of networking with very little convincing. Dina also reassured me that the first activity of the expo on Saturday morning is a fun networking exercise to break the ice between members. (Phew!)

To find out how I fare at my first networking event of 2017, check my column next week for the good, the bad, and the awesome details.

Visit NETWORKING IN THE 6IX for more details on Avanti Women’s Career and Networking Expo, this Saturday, April 1, at Centennial College.

*Special thanks to Avanti Women Founder Dina Barazza and Marketing & Events Manager Mandy Kaur for their contributions to this post.

trisharichards[@]hotmail.com

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