How do you build an effective community?
WEST began in 2000 intending to create a supportive environment for women in the fields of science and technology. The community has been growing over the past 20 years into an even more influential group impacting women every day. The goal for this year is to build a strong community of resilient women making a positive impact on the world.
Community
People who come together in a community share common goals and values. For a community to be successful, there has to be trust among its members and a shared passion for the overall goal. At WEST, we work to give women in the enterprise of science and technology the tools and support to reach their full potential. Our community of leaders works to inspire women to achieve more in their careers. We will continue to build the community by hosting many networking events and leadership workshops to bring our community together and find the power in connection.
Resilience
Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from hardship. People face hardship in many ways in their personal lives or careers. Very few people go through a career without experiencing some type of hardship along the way. When facing tragedy, the only two things you can control are your attitude and your effort.
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” –Vince Lombardi
These last few months have been a series of obstacles for everyone with events causing our lives to change drastically. In these moments, we had to come together to support one another. These are uncertain times and we do not know what the future holds. The WEST community will continue to be resilient through these difficult times. We will continue to support women who are willing to take chances and rise above the hardships.
How to be more Resilient
In her book, Rising Strong, Brene Brown discusses how if you are brave enough to take chances, falling is inevitable. “Struggle can be our greatest call to courage, and rising strong our clearest path to deeper meaning, wisdom, and hope.”
Impact
While choosing a career, people are motivated by many different factors. Many people are driven by passion and the impact their careers will have. This year, WEST will be focusing even more on how our impact can make a positive difference in the world. By giving women the tools to be successful in their careers, they will be more confident in their ability to make a difference.
Here are 5 tips for creating high-impact leadership.
Recent events have shown that there needs to be more purposeful training when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The systemic issues that exist must continue to be carefully examined and acknowledged so deliberate change can happen. We all can play a bigger role in ending systemic racism and creating equality.
10 Ways to Have Meaningful Conversations About Race
Looking ahead
This year, the WEST community hopes to build a strong community of people who will support each other through hardship and make an impact on the world. With everything being online, it can be difficult to see the impact of work being done. Our connections with people have to be more planned and deliberate. Check out our upcoming events to get involved in this community and continue making an impact on your career. Our upcoming workshops include our Annual Networking Night, How to Create the Career You Want, and Building Meaningful Relationships for Your Career.
Looking for more resources on this topic? Watch this TED Talk: Building Community that Creates Exponential Impact with Nadav Wilf to learn more about how passion influences the impact we can have on the world.
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