On March 5, I heard Erica Dhawan speak at the WLI Event – “Unleashing Innovation Through the Power of Your Networks,” with Arrowstreet colleagues. WLI is the Women’s Leadership Initiative committee for ULI Boston. The group holds events that encourage women in the industry to pursue leadership positions and increases visibility of women leaders in real estate and A/E/C.
Erica, who coined the phrase “connectional intelligence,” discussed the power of today’s digital network for fostering meaningful connections and sharing information. She explained that social networks allow us to easily connect with diverse thinkers and provide a platform for the discussion of industry knowledge. Erica encouraged the audience to focus on networking quality over quantity, for both in person and online connections.
Erica’s talk allowed me to see the positive effect that digital connectivity can have on my professional development. Along with strategically creating a valuable network (both on and offline), I plan to take Erica’s advice of spending 10-15 minutes a day reading a different online news source – which will continuously introduce new topics and viewpoints.
Topics: Events