Networks and connections
How do you find your people?
We all know that having a network around us is important, both professionally and personally.
When I was at primary school I remember having a close friendship with five other kids who lived locally. Though our paths diverged at the age of roughly 11, a couple of us are still friends on Facebook. There is a newspaper clipping that recently surfaced of a ‘spectacular summer sale’ we organised together (thanks Carl and his mum for finding it!) This was an idea sparked by a Blue Peter fundraising campaign on TV. We had seen a lot of buying and selling going on at school jumble sales, so we decided to host our own sale in my back garden. It was a team effort which saw us all roping in our parents and siblings to paint posters, make flyers, run stalls and bake cakes. We raised £145 for charity — not bad at all for 7 year old entrepreneurs! It remains one of my best examples of the power of having a network.
There are times when a natural peer group surrounds you. I benefitted from joining a graduate scheme in my first full-time job, which came with a like-minded community for Thursday night tequila and support with climbing the career ladder. When I became interested in User Experience, I went to a UXCamp London event in 2010 where I met others who were interested in the field or already up and running as UX practitioners. I gave a talk about ‘Embedding Usability from Scratch’. I still remember how hard I had to push myself to find the confidence to speak. I assumed everyone had more experience and they definitely had cooler talk titles. But I did it! People I met that day became part of an informal UX network. Our paths crossed over the years resulting in amazing collaborations — events, projects, conference talks, books. Hopefully more will follow.
Yet at other times, there seemed to be no easy way to find a network. Life changes displace us, and despite best efforts, sometimes we lose touch with old colleagues and friends. A few years ago I noticed that I had drifted away from some of my networks. I’d moved to a new area and spent a lot of my free time on domestic pursuits (scarily, I remember devoting a lot of headspace to curtains). Social networking sites are a lifeline but also sometimes a false gauge of support available to us. You might have hundreds of Facebook friends, but no obvious candidates to go for a drink with at your local pub (to ask their advice about curtains). It’s a problem many of us experience.
Meetup.com was a big relevation for me. I found it when searching for a book club and a local women’s network popped up. I tentatively joined the next meetup at a coffee shop. This proved to be a turning point in making new friends. I became a regular attendee, then when the organiser stepped down, I took over to keep the group running. Organising communities is challenging and rewarding so there were a lot of lessons along the way. When I moved house again, I passed on the organising baton. I’m pleased to report that the same group now runs with an organising committee and is thriving!
Changing industry in professional life is another common factor that causes you to re-think or re-build your network. Many of us end up in fields that are different to those we started out in and have to develop new skills to stay relevant. If you do anything associated with tech, your field is continually changing anyway. You need mentors and peers at each stage of the journey, but you may be uncertain of where to find them. Conferences can be a great starting point and the online groups around them offer a way of keeping in touch for follow up conversations. I’ve found that travelling outside of the city you are based in can be extremely useful for broadening your network and hearing different voices. It can be cost effective too if the city you are based in is London!
Face-to-face networking can be tricky, particularly if you possess introvert characteristics. I find my energy levels get drained very quickly by meeting new people. The biggest hurdle seems to be finding the courage to introduce myself, make small talk and identify commonalities to continue the conversation. I enjoy it when I do make a new connection and we find a topic of mutual interest to discuss. And I really enjoy chatting to people I already know, especially one-to-one or in small groups. But I have to motivate myself to find the energy sometimes — to schedule meetings, to go even if I’m tired, to listen and respond, to have time alone to think afterwards. Recognising this has helped me to build plans I can stick to, pacing and adjusting commitments as needed. It’s an area I need to keep working on.
Professional communities such as UXPA, LadiesThatUX and The Product Group all provide great networking opportunities. I’ve now started to look for new communities and I’m re-engaging with others. I’m conducting some research into the idea of finding your people — please complete this survey to give your opinions. I am also interested in participating in the organisation of community networks or even setting up a new one. If you are interested, get in touch!
