A diverse professional network can be a valuable asset for your professional growth and development. It can help you access new opportunities, learn from different perspectives, and enhance your skills and knowledge. In this article, you will learn how to benefit from a diverse professional network and how to build one effectively.
Diversity in your professional network means having connections with people who have different backgrounds, experiences, skills, interests, and goals. Diversity can enrich your network by exposing you to new ideas, insights, and resources that can broaden your horizons and challenge your assumptions. It can also help you develop your cultural competence, empathy, and communication skills, which are essential for working in a global and diverse environment.
Science has proven that those who have inclusive and diverse networks and teams tend to do better than those with homogenous networks and teams. Diversity matters because it allows us to consider perspectives and ideas outside of our own. As humans, we all have our own experiences which as a result have contributed to our own conscious and unconscious biases. However, these biases can often keep us from seeing the bigger picture. By having a diverse network, a person can expand their knowledge to an entirely new level. Not only can they improve their cultural competencies, but they can become more aware of how others work which as a result can increase communication and innovation.
So many facets of diversity that deserve more 'airplay' in how it is that innovation actually (cognitively) takes place: diversity of perspective (created by diversity of industry experience)- which also spawns diversity of thought, inter-disciplinary diversity (e.g. mech. engineering inclusion w. electrical), diversity of cross-functional open communication & inclusion (vs. organizational 'silos').
One way to find diverse connections is to expand your existing network by asking for introductions, referrals, or recommendations from your current contacts. You can also join online or offline communities, groups, or events that are related to your field, industry, or interests, and look for people who have different backgrounds or perspectives than yours. Another way is to seek out mentors, coaches, or advisors who can offer you guidance, feedback, and support from their own experience and expertise.
Once you have found diverse connections, you need to maintain and nurture them by staying in touch, providing value, and building trust. You can stay in touch by sending regular updates, sharing relevant information, or expressing appreciation. You can provide value by offering help, advice, or referrals, or by collaborating on projects or initiatives. You can build trust by being respectful, authentic, and curious, and by listening and learning from your connections.
A diverse professional network can open up new opportunities for you, such as career advancement, learning and development, or innovation and creativity. To leverage these opportunities, you need to be proactive, flexible, and open-minded. You need to be proactive by reaching out to your connections, expressing your interests and goals, and asking for opportunities or recommendations. You need to be flexible by adapting to different situations, expectations, and challenges that may arise from working with diverse people. You need to be open-minded by embracing new ideas, perspectives, and feedback that can help you grow and improve.
Having a diverse professional network can be advantageous, however, it is important to avoid certain pitfalls. Stereotyping or generalizing people based on their background or identity, focusing on the quantity of connections rather than the quality, neglecting or alienating your existing or similar connections, failing to follow up on commitments and promises, and ignoring or dismissing the differences or conflicts that may arise from working with diverse people are all potential issues. To prevent these pitfalls, you should be mindful by being aware of your own biases and assumptions; respectful by treating your connections as individuals and valuing their contributions and opinions; and inclusive by creating a sense of belonging and fostering a culture of collaboration and mutual support.