"When-In Lists": a Networking Technique for travel

I have this networking habit I have used for many years that I'm sometimes asked about when I teach professional social media (PSM) workshops. It is what I call a “When-In” lists. While PSM is good for conveniently and efficiently finding career-relevant colleagues, there is no substitute for face-to-face meetings over meals and drinks. It is for this reason that when I travel, I will search up my network in the destination city and add them to a “when-in” list for that city for the scheduling of face-to-face meetings.?

I keep these lists up-to-date over time and reach out in advance to schedule face-to-face meetings, if only for 30 minutes. Most times meetings are in a restaurant or coffee shop, but other times standing on a street corner or even visiting colleagues' homes. I've lost count of the number of digital and virtual relationships I have converted to analog, face-to-face relationships, sometimes years after meeting virtually. A number have become lasting professional relationships and even personal friendships.

Sometimes I have even taken an extra day in a city and gone to a centrally located coffee shop and scheduled meetings throughout the day for various colleagues to drop by, sometimes individually and other times multiple colleagues at once so they can meet one another. These group sets are extra especially gratifying! I recall good experiences of this in Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, UK and Shanghai, PRC.

I highly recommend you take time to construct "when-in" lists for yourself. They really are invaluable, and fun. Thanks again for subscribing and reading our newsletter, for spreading word about it, for checking out our online course, Social Media for Career Advancement and reaching out if you are interested in participating in a community of practice on this topic of professional social media.