Join a Book Club

Internal Book Club

Getting to know people and bonding over a common interest can be a great way to network with colleagues internally. It can also help build and develop relationships.

It doesn’t even have to strictly a book club. The idea would be generated structured conversation around shared content, as an ice breaker and to find common ground. This might be a book (fiction / non-fiction), an article, a TED video, an online course. It might be strictly-work related or a bit more fun.

Everyone participating can then meet up (or dial-in) to chat and discuss the book.

Local Book Club

If you are interested in books you might also use your enjoyment of books to network with others outside the workplace.

I have previously been part of a non-fiction book club (that I found on meet-up) that met down the local pub and chatted about entrepreneurial and business books. I joined to make me read more. It also gave me more motivation to read. A book club was also great for meeting more (new) people as well as good conversation and idea sharing. It was a lot of fun.

Virtual (online) Book Club

An online book club can also be a great way to meet new people and discuss a common interest. This might be an informal book club with people that you have simply met online and created an online space for discussing books (e.g. in a LinkedIn group or on twitter). It might also be something more formal where you sign up to a book club subscription and get sent the book and everything else you need to then have a conversation with some online contacts on a regular basis.