Networking Moments
Margaret M. Ballard, AICP, WTS-DC
Over the years, several presidents of our chapter have started their WTS-DC board meetings with “an ice-breaker.” The exercise often reveals something pleasant and engaging about each participant. Particularly during this past pandemic and Zoom-filled year, these short spontaneous remarks amount to a fabulous networking opportunity. While the responses are not critiqued or analyzed or detailed, they offer a different glimpse of the person; taken collectively, oh my, what an interesting group we are!
For different networking moment topics, I’ve learned somebody plays clarinet regularly with the Fairfax Symphony; another performs as an oboist with a chamber music group. There are field hockey players, volleyball enthusiasts, women’s basketball fans, and complete klutzes. Many could quickly name their first mentor. Several have gone back to school in a different field, while others zeroed-in early on. Even younger members briefly expounded on their “most meaningful project.” The projects ranged different modes, from planning or design or construction, to policy action and influence, or research and communications. Not only did the projects seem interesting, but the reason they popped to mind ranged from a proud technical achievement, an admired project management technique, or appreciation for community and/or team participation.
In May 2021, our networking moment was: What skill did you not learn in school that you have found to be useful in the workplace? (This can be a technical or non-technical skill.)
As people introduced themselves with their name, where they worked, and which committee they represented, they described a skill they had mostly learned on-the-job rather than having been taught. Among the answers: Learning to listen. Another person modified that with learning HOW to listen. A further modification was learning how to read body language. A few engineers mentioned needing to learn how to write in non-technical jargon. Learning how to write concisely for one person was a skill, for another they’d learned that in journalism school. Someone said always to know what your end-product is. Another said they learned to know who is to accomplish what action items at the end of a meeting.
One person said keeping a short record of daily activities helped her immensely in preparing time sheets, but more importantly project progress reports at the end of the month, because she could go back and highlight different colors for different projects and have a quick timeline. Another person said she regularly uses multiple ways to keep notes about projects, and thus easily can resurrect the rationale for a design or modification months or years after the decision. Someone noted how they have learned the art of working with difficult people.
Hearing a rundown of what others have observed helps to reinforce that individually and collectively, we share many skills and insights. These networking moments also give us the opportunity to learn from one another and learn how to further our own professional careers.
Please feel free to contact a member of the Executive Board if you have an interest in helping on a committee this year or in the future. Please also consider occasionally attending a chapter board meeting, as it is another way to “put names with faces” and see other members. Perhaps you would add your experience for the networking moment du jour, too.