I find connections which are outside my usual sphere are often the most useful for stimulating innovative thoughts. Being part of the Knowledge Mobilisation Forum has been a great learning experience for a legal sector knowledge professional.

How do you bring some serendipity/randomness into your network? Not networking to sell, but networks inside your field of work for learning and community.

I’ve been a fan of the random coffee trial for a while now. And, when I can (usually around conferences and distant client meetings), I try to build in an in-person coffee for an on-line connection.

I’ve also previously written about “Happy to Chat benches”, which were an anti-loneliness project in Wales, but which I thought could be a useful tool inside organisations, along with lunch-fours, especially now that people are often hybrid office workers, so don’t see the same faces for coffee/lunch anymore.

Volunteering in our profession obviously serves a dual purpose, and professional groups like Women Lawyer’s Network, CILIP or Law Consultancy Network, or my own groups, Knowledge Network and Next Gen Partner Alliance, enable us to step outside our organisations for support and community.

What else works for you? How do you meet interesting people outside your usual network, but who are still relevant to your work? I’d love to hear.