"I want to be where the people are..." Princess Ariel Tritansdatter, The Little Mermaid

Let's be honest, finding and slimming down the abundance of professional memberships - online, in-person - can leave you scratching your head.
My professional memberships are timed to renew during the first quarter of the year. This means my inbox is flooding with notices as I re-evaluate what to re-up.
Here's how I approach the big questions, and decide how I'll personally invest my time and resources on professional development.
What's worth my time?
Before I go too deep into where I get involved, it's worth sharing my why.
I'm a solo communications consultant. Helping my clients establish a framework for engagement is second nature. Putting this practice to my own business requires focused intention. Therefore, on behalf of my client (me!) choosing solid associations or active groups that allow me to become an engaged member is key.
Here's how you can do the same:
Be deliberate: When considering where and how to engage, start with the result. Are you looking to widen your personal network? Looking to level-up your skills? Want a hive mind available to answer a timely question?
Last year, my primary goal was to expand my professional network. Between the pandemic and some personal events disrupting my professional focus, pursuing introductory opportunities was my mission. I joined a number of engaging and active communities which helped me land clients and rebuild a trusted board of advisors.
Get curious. A question I'm frequently asking my personal and professional friends is what events they're attending in-person and online; as well as what they're reading about or streaming.
In 2024, I'm not only asking my personal network about new opportunities, I'm also inviting them to join me when I attend. This creates a triple win -- deepening my existing connections, meeting new people, and leveling-up my knowledge of new and existing skills.
Stay focused: Taking a peanut butter approach where you spread your time and resources across a lot of groups will lower your ROI. Yes, this is obvious, but good reminder to return to your answers in step one and how your involvement aligns.
Involvement tends to exist on a continuum where listening-in exists on the left and participation resides on the right. In 2024, I want to up my involvement and consider presenting or writing on a thought leadership topic within communications.
How do you choose where to invest your time and resources? What resources do you recommend? Inquiring minds want to know!
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