The Significance of Business Networking
Why is networking important? Networking brings people together to explore perceptions and create partnerships, as well as discuss aspects of work and life. Networking fosters connection among people and these connections serve a purpose beyond merely establishing a pathway for collaboration; indeed, it can be asserted that networking serves as the bloodline to personal growth, self-awareness, and self-actualization.
Business networking commonly takes place during industry events, which are organized gatherings where numerous professionals convene in one place to engage in discussions on pertinent subjects and share their ideas.
Uniting for a Diverse Workforce
I had the opportunity to be at the Mind Shift table at the fifth annual Disability: In Wisconsin summit on October 12, 2023. This event brought over 200 people from Wisconsin and northern Illinois together to network and participate in a variety of sessions presented by some people who are making a difference in their work to increase the number of neuro-diverse people in the workforce. It was an amazing experience!
Celebrating Judy Quigly's Dedication
Judy Quigly, the Executive Director of Disability: IN WI has worked tirelessly over the past five years. Judy is retiring later this year, and she created this group. She has networked to bring so many people together in pursuit of building a more diverse workforce. Congratulations to Judy as she takes a step back from all of the work she started. She will continue to watch the developments as the Employee Resource Groups (ERG) networks continue to grow across the Midwest and the country.
Embracing Neurodiversity
Participants at this summit had a sneak preview of the short film, Neurodiversity at Work produced by Good Friend, Inc. The film features many neurodiverse individuals as they share their insights and stories. Following this, there’ll be a sequence of five e-learning modules addressing these topics;
- Neurodiversity Explained
- Autistic Characteristics
- Social Workplace Dimensions
- The case for Universal Design
- HR Philosophy
This short film will premiere on November 9, 2023, in Milwaukee. I’m looking forward to seeing this film and learning more about the training modules that will be released. It is great to see individuals who are working and contributing their talents to various businesses. Good Friend, Inc. was founded by two women, Denise and Chelsey, who saw a need and decided that they could fill it. The short film, Neurodiversity at Work is just their most recent endeavor.
Disability: IN, WI Summit: A Beacon of Change
Disability: IN, WI brings businesses together with agencies that support people with disabilities and with parents and individuals who also have disabilities. This community of people is already doing many things to make a difference not only for individuals with a difference but also for the businesses where they work.
