How connection and collaboration make membership a must – by Nina Hasinski – 16th november 2024
– Focusing on the principles of collaboration and support amongst colleagues, this November’s Stronger Together 2 meet-up, organised by the NWTN, built upon the foundations of last year’s event and reminded us how valuable being part of a network is, both professionally and personally.
Professionally, we benefitted from the advice and support of colleagues shared freely and informally throughout the day. Small-group discussion sessions covered a choice of topics from work-life balance, coworking, business finances, marketing, CPD, agencies & clients, and workflow & productivity.
By sharing ideas and experiences, suggesting solutions to each other’s dilemmas, and listening to each other’s points of view, we enhanced each other’s business practices and enriched our professional knowledge.
We also got to know colleagues with different specialisms, language combinations and subject expertise who may become collaborators on future projects or who we could recommend to clients looking for linguists with particular professional backgrounds.
The insightful Post-it note session, where members were encouraged to post questions on the board for colleagues to answer last year, was digitalised on a Miro board this year. The digital board extends this activity beyond the one-day event, as members can continue to post questions and get helpful advice from colleagues long after the in-person event has ended.
Personally, this year’s event allowed me to reflect upon how my experience of being a member of the network has developed since last year, when I arrived at this event alone. Not knowing many of the participants, I participated in the discussions on collaboration, revision, accountability and mentoring, which led to a few of us setting up a local accountability group which has met regularly ever since. This year, our small group travelled to the event together, and I found myself in a room of familiar faces.
It was also great to see a few new faces, who will have the same opportunity as I did to connect and find their place in the network over the coming year. Thanks to our network organisers Laurence, Kate, and Katell, for creating such a thought-provoking and enjoyable event.
