Trust.
When I read the topic for this month’s #glamblogclub, my heart sank a little and I thought “trust? What’s that got to do with GLAM???”
So I left it alone for a while (*cough* most of the month) and today, well, inspiration came before action for once. (hey! I just found myself another blog post topic!)
The inspiration was this quote:
Which got me thinking about teams and how they function well when we are working towards a similar goal. Dragon boat racing has taught me a lot about the need for synchronicity and trust – not just with our paddles, but with our goals as a crew. Being involved in NLS8 and working with a team spread across three states and one territory of Australia is, funnily enough, a similar experience (just with less grunting and more water).
So, back to the quote. I then started thinking about my personal learning network (PLN) and professional connections and how if I think of them as a team, two things happen:
- My network feels more collegiate, more connected and there’s a feeling “we’re in this together”.
- Trust becomes vital. In myself and the people in my network, or tribe if you prefer. (Gang is also good, especially if you love The Goonies).
Let’s flesh this out a bit.
Working with the amazing NLS8 team and expanding my own PLN over the last seven or so years has given me the opportunity to observe how people function and meet their own personal and professional needs within a bigger network of information professionals. Introvert, extrovert, ambivert, specialist, generalist, nerd, geek, student, new grad, seasoned professional, it’s a fascinating mix of people. And I want to connect with them all, but…
Building meaningful connections with other professionals is fraught with “dangers”. You might not be comfortable putting ourselves out there, maybe you don’t want to do it online. Maybe we have imposter syndrome and worry that someone will figure that out and expose us. Perhaps you just don’t know where to start. Me? I was a healthy anxious mixture of all of these.
(Why the hell wouldn’t you want to make connections in the GLAMR world. Let’s be real for a minute… GLAMR is full of people who are generous with their time, knowledge and cakes, that’s the perfect network/tribe/gang!)
So, you might be thinking any or all of those reasons. Or you might be ready and willing to dive in. I know I was and what got me over the line was trust.
First I had to trust myself in the decisions I was making about who to connect with, and finding people to look up to, the “I’d like to be in that position one day” type of people. That’s all part of building a career and having a strategy (seriously, make a plan people and aim big, or small, or medium, whatever you want…JUST MAKE A PLAN!)
Then, it was time to develop trust in that network of people. Being comfortable with putting yourself out there (IRL and online) and admitting you don’t understand, need clarification, or just someone to talk through where you are stuck – study, work, whatever, involves TRUST. And it takes time.
Personally I think that if we treat our network/tribe/gang like a team, and we learn to trust those people and trust ourselves, trust that we have can add value and have something to say, regardless of where we are in our careers, we can do so much.
For me, when I’m working with people who value the same things as me (integrity, honesty, fairness, cake), I’m more inclined to be open about my own barriers and struggles, and also happier to say “hey I did a cool thing, take a look”. Trust!
Look, I’m not saying to lay your life bare in front of your colleagues. Just to make space for a little trust, to wave the pom poms for your team and let them wave and cartwheel for you. And there’s always time for a celebratory cake.