Diverse networks can foster new ways of thinking by connecting you to people whose viewpoints, insights, resources, and lived experiences differ from your own.
How to Diversify Your Professional Network
Recent research supports the notion that people who are connected across heterogeneous groups, and who have more-diverse contacts, come up with more creative ideas and original solutions. Despite the clear benefits, however, most people still tend to connect with others whose perspectives, backgrounds, and cultural norms are similar to their own. Your career will benefit from developing a network that inspires new ideas and challenges your beliefs. Take a small step by meeting someone new and asking about the things you don’t have in common. Ask five friends each month for introductions to people in their extended networks; think about people at different levels and in completely different spaces. Unite people around a charitable cause completely different from their day-to-day roles. A monthly book or article club can give you the chance to hear the perspective of someone who doesn’t share your opinion, as well as a chance to read authors you wouldn’t normally pick up. Look for people who will help you challenge your assumptions, call out your biases, and surface new ideas.