How to meet new people and reconnect with others Viewpoint careers advice blog

How to meet new people and reconnect with others With today’s hurry-up pace, it seems we’ve lost the notion of slowing down and taking the time to be interested in other people. Events designed to get employees together after work no longer hold the same interest. We eat at our desks, and there just doesn’t seem to be time to go out for coffee with our colleagues. We’ve lost track of what is happening in other people’s livesâ€"except perhaps through snippets we see on Facebook or LinkedIn. But, the reality is that the relationships you have at work shape your ability to get things done, and the effectiveness of any meeting is formed by the degree of relationship that exists among the people who attend. Social skills, the ability to facilitate communication and interactions with others continue to be important if you want to make a difference in an organisation. Conversation is the basis for creating, enhancing, and maintaining the relationships required to accomplish things across organisational lines. One of the most valuable social skills to develop is the ability to work the room. How can you work the room? Traditionally we think of working the room as the act of meeting large numbers of people at a gathering. In the context of meetings and your work life, I think it makes sense to look at it in a more focused way. Consider working the room to cover all of the conversations before and after a meeting that allow you to meet people, connect with people, include people, and follow up with people. Here’s how: It begins with intention:  Once you decide to focus on connecting with people, you’ll find it starts to come naturally. So, make it a practice to arrive early and stay late. Take the initiative. Keep track of who you’ve met and what you discussed:  This will serve you in two ways: You will remember more, and you will be able to prep before future meetings. Write notes on your phone or on business cards -whatever it takes to keep track of your conversations. Checking in with people is a lost art:  Ask people about their weekend, their families, their projects, or any other recent experience that fits. Be sure to listen fully and ask follow-up questions that are of interest to you. Be interested:  Keep your focus on the other person and what they share. Don’t worry about being interesting and certainly don’t turn the conversation to yourself very often. You must endeavour to make this a two way conversation where you listen far more than you speak. Greeting people matters:  In particular look out for new faces and include them. Introduce yourself to everyone. Don’t worry about having a conversation with everyone, but do quickly connect, even if it is just saying their names and nodding at them across the table. Use people’s names:  Ask if you don’t remember. Don’t be trying to figure it out. Confident people ask. “I’m sorry; I don’t remember your name.” During the meeting, credit people by name for introducing ideas or triggering your thinking. Refer back to the individual’s earlier comments when appropriate. Ask people to share about things that matter to them: This is the key piece in building a connection. Talking about the weather or sports won’t do it. Listen for their interests, projects, and passions. As you begin to learn about people, you’ll know what to ask them the next meeting in which you both attend. These conversations create the level of relationship that allows you to work effectively and efficiently in an organisation. The more people you know, the more access you have. The deeper each relationship goes, the easier it is to work together. For more advice, take a look at the below blogs: How to get more out of the meetings you attend Why you should schedule one meeting-free day per week Why it’s okay to decline that meeting invite