Colleague Meet Up

Anything to do with the traditional world of get a degree, get a job as well as its alternatives
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brookline
Posts: 184
Joined: Fri Feb 21, 2014 6:53 am

Colleague Meet Up

Post by brookline »

Hi everybody,
I'm thinking of trying to start a meet up for my employer's marketing-type writers. One tricky aspect of doing this is finding a hook that will draw folks in. This would be a grassroots initiative. I've met most of them at networking meetings on an individual basis that I had set up in the past. We hit it off but I'm not friends with any of them. While most of us work in relatively isolated roles, we all otherwise do pretty different stuff in varied environments. I work full-time at what I do while others are only writing part-time and have other responsibilities. I'm a careerist as a writer while some of my peers are merely marking time. There are about 10 people in such roles at this location and I've met with 5 of them in the past. Any thoughts on how to appeal to such people? Possible angles to draw participation include commiserating, networking within the employer, sharing technical expertise, or forming a working group to resolve a common problem for all of us. I'd be happy with any of the above angles.

saving-10-years
Posts: 554
Joined: Thu Oct 31, 2013 9:37 am
Location: Warwickshire, UK

Re: Colleague Meet Up

Post by saving-10-years »

Not from the same field but (if applicable) I have known of groups of academic writers who got together for intense working sessions on a writing project. Thrashing out a new book or writing a revised version (new chapters) for a book. So is there a project you might like to see done and having you all together will allow that to happen?

In my crafts I have worked out how to share the costs of having national/internationally known craftspeople come and teach a small group locally by cutting overheads and sharing costs. So if you can see someone who might be a friend of yours, or someone you would like to know then that would be a lure. Or you can do a day of skill sharing.

I know that I am not addressing networking or socialising specifically here but feel that these follow if you get the right people together, or enough people. But getting people to give up time (precious resource) as well as travel/accommodation money is only possible if they can see some clear purpose (working on a project with people they might like, doing something they can't do alone, access to some guru or to become part of a knowledge pool they can see future use for).

You may find it a surprising amount of work. But when it works its really a pleasure (to me at least) to see the learning and connecting happen.

EDIT to add: If the employer is bearing costs then that helps (just to lend official approval even if you don't need the money - I general found that I did not need the money beyond teas/coffees because like minded people in specialist jobs want to meet and share). You might find Etienne Wengers' Communities of Practice literature helpful. That may be what you want to set up. I have created a very successful CoP for my employers in the past. (PM if you want to ask specifics).

brookline
Posts: 184
Joined: Fri Feb 21, 2014 6:53 am

Re: Colleague Meet Up

Post by brookline »

Thanks Saving 10 Years for your thoughtful & detailed reply. That is really helpful advice.

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