You're a mid-career professional who wants to expand your network in team facilitation. How can you build it?

1 Identify your niche

Before you start reaching out to potential contacts, you need to have a clear idea of what kind of team facilitation you specialize in, or want to learn more about. Team facilitation can be applied to various domains, such as project management, organizational development, change management, coaching, training, or conflict resolution. You can also focus on specific methods, tools, or frameworks, such as agile, scrum, design thinking, or sociocracy. Knowing your niche will help you target your networking efforts and find people who have similar or complementary expertise and interests.

2 Join online communities

One of the easiest ways to connect with other team facilitators is to join online communities that are relevant to your niche. You can find such communities on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Slack, Discord, or Meetup. These platforms offer opportunities to participate in discussions, share resources, ask questions, offer feedback, and join events. You can also create your own profile, showcase your work, and demonstrate your skills and knowledge. Online communities are great for building your online presence and reputation, as well as finding potential collaborators, mentors, or clients.

3 Attend offline events

Another way to expand your network is to attend offline events that are related to team facilitation. These can include conferences, workshops, seminars, meetups, or hackathons. Offline events allow you to meet people face-to-face, exchange ideas, learn new skills, and establish rapport. You can also showcase your team facilitation skills by volunteering to facilitate a session, give a presentation, or lead a group activity. Offline events are ideal for deepening your connections and creating memorable impressions.

4 Follow up and follow through

Networking is not a one-time activity, but a continuous process of building and maintaining relationships. After you meet someone who you want to keep in touch with, make sure to follow up with them within a few days. You can send them a thank-you note, share a resource, ask for feedback, or suggest a next step. You can also follow them on social media, subscribe to their newsletter, or join their network. The key is to show genuine interest and appreciation, and to add value to the relationship. Moreover, you need to follow through on your commitments, such as delivering on a promise, completing a task, or honoring an agreement. This will help you build trust and credibility, and foster long-term collaboration.

5 Be generous and grateful

The final tip for growing your network as a team facilitator is to be generous and grateful. Networking is not only about what you can get from others, but also about what you can give to others. You can be generous by sharing your knowledge, skills, and resources, by offering your support, feedback, and referrals, and by celebrating the successes and achievements of others. You can also be grateful by acknowledging the contributions, insights, and opportunities that others provide, by expressing your appreciation and recognition, and by reciprocating the favors and kindness that others show. Being generous and grateful will help you create a positive and supportive network that can enhance your personal and professional growth.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?