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Embrace The Awkward: Networking After A Pandemic

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Two men and one woman talking closely at a networking event in the evening

As we all come out of hibernation a few pounds heavier and with questionable social skills, it seems like a great time to outline a few dos and don’ts of networking.

We’ve slowly been easing into in-person events, and boy, are those awkward. It’s like we’ve all forgotten how to hold conversations face-to-face. Do you shake hands? Wear a mask? Put on pants? So many questions.

Rule 1: Admit this is hard

We’re all in the same boat. You can no longer shut off your camera when you want to sneak away from a meeting or shove a cupcake in your mouth. Muting is no longer an option and pants are a requirement. Weird.

Just smile, let those you’re interacting with know you are out of practice and you’re absolutely going to be awkward.

I mean, who the hell remembers how to do “small talk”?

Rule 2: Just be quiet

If you have nothing constructive to add to the conversation, just keep your mouth shut. Someone on our team (Kim) has a tendency to ramble and begin confessing weird things whenever there are 5 seconds of silence to fill. This usually results in a few blank stares and people walking away. Don’t be Kim. Just listen to what others are saying and if you have something to add, feel free…but no one needs to know about that one time at band camp.

Rule 3: Keep showing up

Maybe your first in-person didn’t go great, maybe you are nervous you made a bad impression (you probably did), suck it up and register for the next one.

Start out with an afternoon or evening event, there are usually libations you can partake in…if you know what we mean. Keep in mind this could be good or bad. The drinky drink can relax you or simply add to the awkward. 

Rule 4: Carry business cards

Remember those rectangular things we used to carry around in wallets and purses? Yeah, get some of those and keep them on you. Oh, make sure they have your name on them and not someone else’s.

We’re all in this together, so extend a little grace to each other and remember some people will be taller or shorter in person. 
Need more no-nonsense human contact in your life? We’ve got you.

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If you ever need proof that personal brand matters...Kim got to see the @nasaartemis II launch in person as a direct result of her Big Deal Energy™.

You need to work hard, show up authentically, and provide value. That was her message to a room full of students and young professionals at @western_michigan_pmi`s theProject Collegiate Competition.

The Big Deal Energy™ Workshop is on June 23. Register at the link in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18045223601588457
If you ever need proof that personal brand matters...Kim got to see the @nasaartemis II launch in person as a direct result of her Big Deal Energy™. You need to work hard, show up authentically, and provide value. That was her message to a room full of students and young professionals at @western_michigan_pmi's theProject Collegiate Competition. The Big Deal Energy™ Workshop is on June 23. Register at the link in bio.

Employers think Gen Z is lazy, entitled, and will quit the second things get hard. That perception is keeping you out of the room before you ever get a chance to prove otherwise.

The good news is, you can flip the script, but it will take some serious work and a personal brand, or as Kim Bode refers to it: Big Deal Energy™.

Kim is speaking at theProject™ Collegiate Event, hosted by the Project Management Institute Western Michigan Chapter on April 14. She`ll cover how to build a personal brand that actually sounds like you (not ChatGPT) and how you can show your value through social, content and networking.

Link in bio to learn more.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18012680507839574
Employers think Gen Z is lazy, entitled, and will quit the second things get hard. That perception is keeping you out of the room before you ever get a chance to prove otherwise. The good news is, you can flip the script, but it will take some serious work and a personal brand, or as Kim Bode refers to it: Big Deal Energy™. Kim is speaking at theProject™ Collegiate Event, hosted by the Project Management Institute Western Michigan Chapter on April 14. She'll cover how to build a personal brand that actually sounds like you (not ChatGPT) and how you can show your value through social, content and networking. Link in bio to learn more.

No one talks about how lonely it is to own a business. The tough decisions land on you, the business doesn`t pause when you need a break, and nobody - not your employees or your spouse - really gets it.

If you know a business owner, tell them they`re doing a good job. It matters more than you know.

5 0
Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18115092436709128
No one talks about how lonely it is to own a business. The tough decisions land on you, the business doesn't pause when you need a break, and nobody - not your employees or your spouse - really gets it. If you know a business owner, tell them they're doing a good job. It matters more than you know.

The growth stage is the hardest part of building a business.

Kim was recently quoted in @corpmagazine on what she sees running the Women`s Entrepreneurial Fellowship: women who have built something, survived the hardest part, and are still doing everything themselves. The natural tendency to be humble and attached to their work creates unique business challenges for women; they put up walls because they can`t be vulnerable.

Meanwhile, when a woman CEO needs growth capital, she compiles three years of tax returns before a bank will schedule a meeting, while her male competitor closes the same deal over drinks.

When women have access to the right resources, they grow and invest back. Full article at the link in bio.

4 0
Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18078804740143427
The growth stage is the hardest part of building a business. Kim was recently quoted in @corpmagazine on what she sees running the Women's Entrepreneurial Fellowship: women who have built something, survived the hardest part, and are still doing everything themselves. The natural tendency to be humble and attached to their work creates unique business challenges for women; they put up walls because they can't be vulnerable. Meanwhile, when a woman CEO needs growth capital, she compiles three years of tax returns before a bank will schedule a meeting, while her male competitor closes the same deal over drinks. When women have access to the right resources, they grow and invest back. Full article at the link in bio.

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