Make An Introduction That Could Potentially Lead To A Mentoring Relationship

Pre-COVID, networking commonly meant chatting people up at the multitude of conferences, happy hours, association meetings, and the many other events that were held. Now, our interactions have to be much more intentional as we navigate life mostly virtually. In this intentional mode, we have to be more conscious of initiating contact and making critical introductions – for ourselves and others. This is where you can step in on behalf of people of color in your network. If you know an individual who could benefit from the guidance of someone they could identify with who has excelled in a similar role or industry, do a quick scan of your network and see if there’s a contact you could introduce them to. Who knows - that connection could lead to a valuable mentor-mentee relationship. Commit to being a connector and creating opportunities for people who may not cross paths otherwise. In the next week, plan to make one introduction and put a reminder on your calendar to re-visit this challenge at least 3 times in 2022.