ConnectMinds Comment | Are you getting enough out of your ConnectMinds membership?
Be ambitious with your ConnectMinds membership
Are you getting enough out of your ConnectMinds membership?
By: Lau Hesselbæk Andreasen, Partner & Knowledge Broker at ConnectMinds
If you’re a ConnectMinds member - or a member in any other professional network, for that matter - have you ever thought about what you could or would like to get out of the membership?
Why did you decide to join in the first place? Were you looking for new ideas and inspiration? For a group of people who would understand your situation without too much explanation? For help with a particular challenge? Was it recommended to you by someone you know?
And most importantly: are you getting what you hoped for and expected?
If yes, have you spoken to anyone about what else the network might be able to do for your team? Things that might exceed your expectations and take you further than you had thought possible.
If no, have you let the organisers know that you don’t think we are hitting the mark, so it can be addressed and disappointment avoided? ConnectMinds members use their network and their membership in numerous ways - and that’s ok; as long as it works for you.
How do you want to exercise your mental muscle? Think of ConnectMinds as “a gym for brains”
Let’s try this analogy:
Arguably, the nature of a ConnectMinds membership is not very different from that of a gym membership;
You are probably all too aware of your challenges;
You want to find the best way of overcoming them and ideally learn some good habits and smart moves that will keep you in better shape in the future. Perhaps you join with a fairly clear vision of the desired end result; a clear goal you are working towards.
You join to get some guidance from experienced instructors; to learn the techniques that best address your issues. Exactly which tactical steps you choose, how much time you dedicate every week etc. is then entirely up to you - and your level of motivation.
Some join the gym and kick off with a lot of enthusiasm, but after having done the same eight or ten exercises on every visit with only limited results and progress in the beginning, there is a feeling of stagnation and the enthusiasm quickly wears off. The membership card stays in the wallet while the membership fee quietly leaves your account month after month - and after a year they decide to cancel the whole thing feeling more than a little annoyed that they paid all that money and didn’t see any results. The fact that they can’t think of anyone to blame for the failure than themself doesn’t make it any better; probably quite the contrary.
Some join because there is one class on the schedule they really like and that’s the one class they book themself on week after week. No variety and limited progress, but it feels good.
Some join in a panic: they’re stressed and need to “achieve miracles” in a few weeks; an important event is coming up and they’re desperate to shed some weight before the wedding, beach holiday…
Some join with a view to feel better and stay healthy, but with no particular activity in mind. They might regularly consult a trailer or instructor in order to ensure variety and optimise results.
Plan a member journey that matches the needs of your team
ConnectMinds members similarly have very different ways of using their membership and interacting with the network. There is a lot on the programme all the time; many opportunities to engage and learn. One option is to wait for the events and topics to be announced and then sign up for those that look Interesting.
A much more fruitful and focused approach is to look at the needs, challenges, opportunities, skills gaps and interests of your team and then talk to one of our knowledge brokers about how to map out and construct a membership that matches those gaps and needs in the best way possible. Remember: the network is about a lot more than scheduled events: there are many more ways it can be useful and valuable. The more we know about your team, projects and what they need, the better we’re equipped to make useful intros to other members with relevant insights and examples, guide you to resources and data etc.
There is always something useful the network can offer.
So: regardless of what you are currently planning or doing; onboarding new hires, scoping the next project, working like mad to get ready for a big launch, there is always something useful the network can offer. When you think you are just too busy to make time for the network, that’s when it can often be at its most valuable; spending a few minutes explaining your pain point to the knowledge broker could lead to the input or example that could save you hours; provide reassurance, stop a misguided detour or a counter-productive discussion and ultimately get you to a successful conclusion faster - and with less risk.
Here are some of the things we have done to help you and your team navigate the many possibilities a membership offers:
We have gathered a number of use cases; examples of how you can use the network every day.
We have moreover put some of them on a classic project timeline, to show at which stage of the network the given examples would typically be most relevant and useful.
We reach out to every member for a brief 1:1 CONSULTATION once a quarter to stay on top of your needs and wants, new insights, strengths and ambitions.
We continually encourage you to post questions and requests for input / examples in the global feed on ConnectUs; our online member platform - that way you reach all ConnectMinds members in one place and we can all learn from the exchanges.
Think about what you and your team need, want struggle with and want to know more about - and talk to us about how we can address it all in the best way possible.
Enjoy your mental workout, let yourself inspire by how others are composing their training - and don’t forget the mental stretch!
We will continue to focus on the many use cases and ways of benefiting from your ConnectMinds membership over the coming months.