In short... YES!
Why you ask?
What better way to network, build connections and drive collaboration than to genuinely connect with individuals. Coffee chats can be with those internal and external to your organization, with those you already know to deepen a connection as well as those you hope to know better.
You never know when those coffee chats may turn into an idea to help solve a problem you are facing or even your next job. Some of the best ideas or paths forward for me have come from what other organizations are currently doing or learning from someone who is completely unbiased towards your current workplace dynamics. By having these coffee chats I have built a network who I can lean on for advice and guidance when I come up against a challenge that help me do my job even more effectively. Most recently, I reached out to a number of peers to get other perspectives on a roll out we were planning in our Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) to understand lessons learned from other companies and their best practices. I have also had the opportunity to connect with individuals help answer questions as others come up against challenges in their career goals, finding their next job or even generally discussing trends in the market right now.
So how do you have effective coffee chats?
Be flexible: It is important to remain flexible; coffee chats don't strictly need to be in person and the remote world has actually allowed us to push these connections globally vs. primarily looking locally for coffee chats. Also, being aware everyone's availability, situations are very different so scheduling and timelines may vary when booking coffee chats, be understanding of this.
Reach out and ask: It sounds simple but more people are open to chatting than you realize. The first step to having a coffee chat is being up front and reaching out to ask people you want to connect with.
Be specific: In your initial message it is important that if there is a specific purpose of your chat that you share that. By setting these expectations up front it allows the person you are reaching out to understand the purpose of the chat. This also will help them prepare and understand what your coffee chat will look like.
Be curious: Be prepared and come in ready to learn and listen. Whether it is a networking chat or a specific question it is good to be prepared with questions or things you would like to walk away with from that chat. What is the goal? What did you learn?
Be open: Similar to it being valuable, it is also really impactful that you are open to sharing and being honest when you build these connections. This will help you both strengthen relationships that already exist but also build new ones.
If you are interested in having a coffee chat I am always open to it, you can find me on LinkedIn here.