How can you effectively communicate with your mentors and network contacts using social media?

All social media platforms have their specific target audience, one can utilise these in following ways: LinkedIn - 1. Acknowledge people (Tag them) who helped you, guide you in any ways 2. After connecting you can send them a thank you note and reason for connecting with them. (I invited few people in our conferences / Webinars in same way); Applicable for business collaborations, introduction with new people / territories etc 3. Follow up with mail / call 4. Tagging the right people / institutions / hashtags will multiply your reach

If you want to connect with people on LinkedIn to expand your network: 1. Do it with purpose. Ask yourself "Why do I want to connect with this person?". If the answer is not yet clear, you can follow them first, instead of asking to connect with them. 2. Always send a personalized note. Study their profiles and notice something fun or special about them. Then add a personalized note, instead of sending a plain request. 3. After connecting, start chatting with them, offering your value, and setup a Zoom call/coffee chat to drive the conversation further. P/S. Rome is not built in a day. Nor meaningful relationship. Do it slowly and with care. You'll get there. Good luck.

I met with my mentor today and she is so amazing. She often has a few ideas and I come with questions. Today I did not carry through with a task and we unpacked the "why" - As a mentee, I am willing to be vulnerable, transparent and willing to take feedback - that makes the time/relationship worthwhile. Get a mentor at your company - it will make a big difference in your overall success!

Choosing the right platform could be as powerful as Choosing the right moment. One should make sure the platform allows for the matter. A WhatsApp message sent by an Italian-based manager at 10:00 AM to an interlocutor in the USA may not be the best suited! (because of the time difference per example! In other words: you do not want to awake someone's entire family at 04:00 in the morning, as the phone happened to charge on the night table next to the bed)

Each social media platform has its own specific purpose. Figuring out your end game and goal will help determine your target audience. Based on this, you can choose the appropriate platform. A good rule of thumb however, always remembering anything you put in writing will be on the internet forever.

You should always maintain the highest form of respect whenever communicating to your mentor no matter the kind of relations you have built with your mentor. Be formal and polite as a much as possible.

Las relaciones de mentoreo son muy poderosas y ricas para las dos partes. Es fundamental que la dinámica de comunicación sea auténtica y transparente, con mutuo respeto a los tiempos y vías de comunicación.

Some mentors can have very busy schedules. Learn their schedules and know when is appropriate to reach out to them. If you are not sure you can leave a messaging asking if you can reach out to them when you need their help or assistance. You should always make the initiative to approach your mentor. They cannot know what you need if you do not communicate.

Planning in this area is crucial. If you seek a mentor and you are looking to establish that relationship then you need to create a plan for communication. This is not the responsibility of the mentor to keep you on track. Establish goals for your reach outs, keep dates on a calendar, be mindful of times of the year, and be intentional when the communication does take place.

I could not emphasised enough on Cross-Cultural communication! One should harness cultural knowledge, trusting that by understanding the other: communication can improve. Adapt your style to the interlocutor's culture ! While in the UK, the common is to follow up with an email detailing the meeting's shared thoughts. Spanish do not necessary have this habit. It does not make them less professional or interested, it is just the result of the culture shaping.

Effective communication requires learning the skills to exchange information with clarity, empathy, and understanding. One should be aware of cultural differences: The Japanese tend to send an encrypted message that requires "reading the air" in order to effectively receive & understand the untold through the told. While the Americans tend to "say what they mean and mean what they say". Probably the reasons for this, is the establishment itself of these two cultures! Most old married couple communicate by looking to each others, while new couples might find it hard as they do not know each other enough.