Meet before or after the Workshop
One of the best ways to get to know people and learn how you can best advocate for them is by meeting them one-on-one around the Workshop.
In general both of you are attending the Workshop to create results so it’s best if you follow some simple guidelines
- Ask your coach to suggest some other collaborators who they believe could be a good contact for you to meet with OR
- Look through the Fellow Collaborators sheet and identify a few possibilities and then ask your coach which of those would be best for you to speak with
- Remember this is a 2-way street – try to identify people you may be able to help as much as others who may be able to benefit you
- See if your coach (or their coach) can advocate for you prior to the meeting
- Learn as much as you can about the person you will be meeting from the Fellow Collaborators Workbook (accessible through the Builders menu)
- When you request the meeting, your job is to find out what they do and how you may be able to help them
- If there is any time left after that, they may ask about you. If not, they will usually set a time where you can catch up again to learn more about you
- Be proactive about advocating for others – think about who you know who could be good contacts for them
- This will be Gold for your good news stories!
We often meet in half hour time slots before the Workshops. It’s best to keep it to half an hour so that you or the person you are meeting have the chance to set other time slots.
It’s best not to organise meetings on the night of the Hub. This is simply because Monday nights are reserved for going through the process with new people who are considering going to the next step of network building – ideally coming to the Workshop!
Update and Involve your coach
Don’t be the lone wolf – the more you involve your coach the better.
Your coach will have a ‘broader’ perspective, as they have been involved longer, and gotten to know more people in this community – as you will certainly know a broader range of people than those you are coaching.
They can advocate for and help you.
Arrange meetings through them – in general, the meeting will go much better!
Do everything possible to encourage others you meet
When you are meeting others or just chatting with people at the Hub or a Workshop rise above any other the negatives that may be happening in your life.
Do your best to be “present”, and listening rather than dwelling on other things that may be happening.
Everyone wants to be around people that genuinely, authentically uplift and encourage them.
Praise rather than Perfect
In some cases, you may be able to see how someone could personally do things better.
Avoid the temptation to engage in “Constructive Criticism” (it usually can’t be done without making the person you are trying to help feel inadequate – even when they have asked for it!)
Learning the art of “Questioning forwards usually works much better” .. it’s rare that we cannot find or work-out a solution – particularly when others ask pertinent questions (often because we won’t ask them of ourselves) .