And Carrie On

How do I get involved? It’s a question I get regularly by people looking to get more connected in the higher education space.

With more and more people joining our profession or advancing to more senior ranks, it’s important that we all help the next generation find their tribe within the higher education community.

Having a good team of leaders can help solve problems, generate ideas, provide a sounding board in a challenge, and offer affirmation to an approach. Simply put, the community supports one another and is so beneficial.

That said, when you’re in a new role or new to the work, figuring out how to build that community can be really hard. After finishing my doctorate, I knew I was ready to get more involved. By sharing that concern with several existing colleagues, they were able to help me get more active and involved.

However, it got me thinking what is a path to involvement if there isn’t a sponsor helping to open doors. I’ve put together a few strategies that I think might be helpful. 

5 Strategies to Build Community

1. Informational Interviews – Reach out to leaders you admire and want to learn from. Share your desire to build community and get more involved. Often times, these leaders are more than willing to give of their time to support the next generation. When ending these conversations ask their counsel on how to get more involved professionally. I’ve done this with several leaders I admire and am now blessed to call many of them friends. Additionally, the best compliment for such leaders is when someone comes to them hoping to learn more. What an honor to pay it forward.
2. Raise Your Hand – Many times conferences need volunteers to moderate rooms, stuff goodie bags, or any other myriad of tasks. Reach out to the conference committee organizers and volunteer to help however is needed. And then, do a good job! While interacting with the committee ask for ways to do more and to more regularly get involved. Know that it doesn’t always happen the first time, so continue volunteering and raising your hand. The right person will see when the time is right!
3. Don’t Skip Networking – When you’re attending conferences, after a long day it can be easy to skip the networking and run to your room to check emails. As you can, stay present and attend networking receptions to get to know others attending the conference and helping plan the work. These groups are usually required to be at the receptions, so it’s another great way to get to know people and build connection.
4. Sit Up Front – In the plenary sessions and conference sessions, sit close to the front. This helps people see you. People at the front of the room are usually planners and organizers, so sitting up at the front shows you’re interested. Additionally, in sessions sitting at the front allows you to connect with others as you walk through the crowd to the front of the room. It also conveys to the speakers, moderators and others attending that you want to be actively engage.
5. Say Thank You – Any time that you engage with someone, remember to thank them for their time. If you ask someone to have a drink to learn more about their work, you should offer to treat as a thank you. If someone takes time to spend with you on a marketing project, you should send them an email or a handwritten card as a thank you for their time. When people feel valued, they’re more likely to answer the call the next time you reach out.

What Else?

This is just a starting conversation, so I’d love to hear what are ideas you have to help engage new leaders to get involved and become more active.

Also — if you’d like to chat more, I’d love to connect!