Articles
Relationships: The Secret Super Power of Membership
By: Deborah Ketai
Psssst!!! Want to know a secret?
The most valuable benefit of your SNEC-PMI membership may be the opportunity to build relationships with other project professionals, especially outside your own organization.
It’s easy to get so tied up in your work that you ignore the world beyond. But broader relationships have a lot of advantages when you need:
- A fresh perspective on a challenge
- Insights into current trends
- Information or referrals during a job search
That’s why you should make it a habit to get to know new people, either through our events or by volunteering (or both).
Too shy? Don’t know how to break the ice?
Here are a couple of general tips, followed by some for virtual meetings.
- Set a goal for the event—maybe meeting two new people. Your goal is simply to meet them, get their contact info (email address and/or LinkedIn URL) and lay the groundwork for getting to know them later.
- Put on your curiosity hat. Don’t worry about "selling yourself." Instead, ask thoughtful questions. People remember good listeners.
- Display your full name on Zoom calls. Click the three dots on your video square and select “Rename.”
- Turn your camera on if you can. It makes virtual interactions more personal.
- Use the chat wisely. Drop in a resource or question, followed by your contact info.
- Follow up with a LinkedIn connection request (preferably with a note) or an email. Say you’d like to continue the conversation, or mention what intrigued you about what they said. (Be specific.) Ask if they’d be open to getting together, either in person or for a quick virtual chat.
- Don’t forget to connect with the event speaker or host—they’ll be flattered that you were paying attention!
Notice that I haven’t used the word “networking” at all? Yeah, that’s what this is all about, but don’t let the word put you off. Networking is all about building relationships—genuine connections that can help you grow, share ideas, and open doors to new opportunities.
