Connect more in 2024: building bridges in a hybrid world

Ever since I was young, I’ve loved connecting with people. From my childhood friendships that spanned the various cliques, to my high school performances as Yente the Matchmaker and Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly (both matchmakers), to my time at Emerson College in Boston – a college brimming with connectors and storytellers – through film, journalism, the performing arts, or creative writing. After graduating, I landed in corporate America as a recruiter –? connecting people with careers they loved. My love of recruiting fueled my pivot to employer branding - another role with connection at the cornerstone.

So, fast forward to 2020 and the pandemic forced us all into our homes. Those in-person connections vanished overnight. But having already formed strong relationships at work, I found it easy and somewhat seamless to shift those connections to a Zoom call or a Teams message. The foundation was already there.

Then I accepted an offer at a different company. The safety net of connections I had constructed over the decade at my previous company suddenly disappeared, and I was left sitting at my desk alone, without the familiar office setting to build my connections. I knew who to call for everything - or at a minimum I knew who to call to ask. I had my go to IT guy, the partners in marketing who I could bounce ideas and creative off of. I had advisors, best friends (those I've still got for life), and a seat at the table. I was known, and I knew everyone. And then, with this new role, I was back at the starting line.

Now that I’ve been at Stryker for 9 months, the connections are taking root and growing stronger and deeper every day. But it got me thinking – what does connection look like now? And how can I (read: how can we all) connect more in 2024?

The call is coming from inside the house.

At Stryker, we have a wealth of internal resources that create opportunities for making internal connections. We can leverage our Individual Development Plans (IDPs) to set formal goals around expanding our internal network. We have numerous Stryker ERGs to make meaningful connections to peers with common backgrounds. We can use Yammer/Viva Engage to seek out local colleagues, shared interests, or simply meet a new person.

Matchmaker, matchmaker make me a match.

They say that a good party host has an ability to connect people who may have otherwise never crossed paths. They do so by introducing people and sharing why they should know each other. Well guess what? That strategy works just as well at work. Who do you know that you can introduce to someone else? What do they have in common? What can they learn from one another? Does someone have a hidden talent in pivot tables and v-lookups and someone else is working on streamlining reporting for their team? Perhaps you were wowed by someone’s presentation at a meeting and have someone on your team who’s looking to strengthen their public speaking skills. Be the bridge and make the connection.?

Get in, we’re going to Stryker.

While many employees work 100% virtual, there’s still a large percentage of Stryker employees who live near one of the amazing Stryker offices like the one pictured above (#OfficeEnvy). If you live close to an office, try to go in periodically. There are always fun events going on, and in many cases all the coffee your heart desires (though I do recommend limiting your caffeine intake even if your heart says otherwise). If you haven’t already done so, opt in to local newsletters, follow regional channels on Yammer, or find people in your geographic region on LinkedIn. You can also wear some of your Stryker swag in the wild and see who you bump into. Not close to an office? Don’t fret. Chances are you’ve got some colleagues nearby and don’t even know it. Search for local team members on LinkedIn and create local networking groups. You can also raise your hand to attend conferences where you can meet with a bunch of folks at once. And we have a variety of volunteer events across the globe - in person and virtually - to connect while giving back.

Stryker has entered the chat.

Fun fact: I met my husband on MySpace – so I’m what you call an “early-adopter” to virtual meet & greets. While MySpace might not be the hopping .com it used to be, LinkedIn is a great place to find Stryker employees. By searching #WeAreStryker , or engaging with content from other Stryker employees, you can broaden your ability to meet, engage with, and connect with more people than ever before. Maybe someone shared a moving story about their Stryker-versary, or a reeeeeally cute picture of their Stryker pet (tag me in that, please and thank you), take the leap and reach out to that person. Consider this the only HR sanctioned way to slide into someone’s DMs. ?

But Debra…explain it to me like I’m five.

Alright maybe you’re reading all this and you’re like “Debra, you seem cool and all but for real, I still don’t know where to start. It still feels scary.” Here’s my Connect More in 2024 cheat sheet:

• Use your internal resources – they’re out there. Go get ‘em.
• Play matchmaker – who do you know that should know someone else you know?
• Get in and get out – Spend some time in your local office, or build a local group of Stryker colleagues to grab coffee or co-work with.
• Be a not-so-secret admirer – did you see a post on LinkedIn that you loved? Connect with the person and say hello!
• And one more thing...make sure you’re following Stryker – Joining the team at Stryker is among the best decisions I've ever made professionally. The team is truly amazing, and what we're doing here makes a difference in people's lives. Need more reasons to explore opportunities at Stryker? Here's 12 of them.
• Oh and one more thing! Connect with me .

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What would you add to the list? Happy connecting!