Never underestimate the power of a good community. No matter what your role is, being part of a supportive network can unlock career growth and strong professional relationships.
In the construction industry, we're fortunate to have many thriving communities that empower professionals to connect and share knowledge. From local groups and meet-ups to large in-person events and online forums, construction pros have strong opportunities to strengthen their networks.
Here to discuss the power of communities in construction are Laurie Yaneff, BIM Technician at Stone Group Architects and Steven Bloomer, BIM Lead at GHD—both of whom are part of notable construction industry groups. We're also joined by Michaela Alexander, Senior Manager of Global Customer Advocacy at Autodesk, to share her insights on building and supporting communities.
We discuss:
As someone who's been involved in community building for over 12 years, Michaela has an interesting perspective on the topic. For her, communities are all about environments that foster authenticity and meaningful connections.
"One of the things I think about is how to create authentic spaces. We often go to classes and conferences and different places where we represent our companies, but what about the actual people behind them?"
She continues, "Communities are places where people can share the rest of them. For example, we have things like Behind the Build, which discusses the people behind projects and companies. That's what I think about when creating communities—it's all about seeing the whole person."
There's no shortage of construction-centric communities and forums. No matter your specialty or where you live, you can find a group of like-minded professionals to connect with.
Steven, for example, is part of several in-person and virtual communities.
"I live in Australia, and we have quite a few in-person activities. On the virtual side, the three major ones I'm a part of are The Big Room, the research community, and the feedback community."
Speaking of digital communities, these forums offer unmatched accessibility and opportunities for connection.
Take Laurie, who, despite not living in an area with many in-person communities, has found vibrant online ones that keep her connected and engaged. She finds tremendous value in online communities like The Big Room and Autodesk's online product forums.
Laurie is also active on LinkedIn, where she engages in conversations and builds her network.
"I always used to think of LinkedIn as a job platform, but now I'm finding people are putting their real selves out there. It's interesting to see that geography isn't as much of a limiting factor anymore and that you can build a community, and even if you don't see somebody every day, you can still connect on some commonality."
Speaking from the community management perspective, Michaela says that building genuine connections starts with creating spaces where people feel comfortable and encouraged to participate. That's why one of her goals is to create environments that strike the balance between lightheartedness and professionalism.
Michaela gives the example of acronym challenges, where participants decode industry-specific acronyms together. It may not be the most educational part of someone's day, but it helps folks meet others who understand the same acronyms and find humor in them.
She also brings up the importance of sharing expertise within the community.
"It's awesome to see people share their knowledge. Laurie and Steven are great examples of people who give back to the community daily. And like Laurie was saying, the digital space enables you to help anyone. You can throw out a question, and someone else can say, 'Oh, I dealt with that last week.' And it gives you the space to connect, which is really fun to see."
Have you checked out The Big Room?
The topic of The Big Room comes up in our conversation multiple times—and for good reason. It's an excellent online community that enables construction pros worldwide to network and share their knowledge.
Michaela sheds light on the history of The Big Room and shares that the name was inspired by the collaborative spaces used in construction projects.
"Alison Scott was the brainstormer of the name 'The Big Room.' When coming up with that name, we really thought about a construction term that industry pros would be familiar with," she explains.
"The Big Room is where you come and cross-connect with people from all parts of the industry and share ideas. So, conceptually speaking, I took that idea into a community setting. We asked, 'How do we create a place where people can learn, grow, and connect?' We at Autodesk don't have all the answers. We're never going to have all the answers, but if we can bring our smartest customers together, we can create this space in an authentic way."
The Big Room has grown into a vibrant community. In addition to enabling you to meet like-minded people, there are plenty of opportunities to earn rewards you can exchange for swag and memorable experiences.
So, if you haven't done so yet, go and be part of The Big Room today.
Putting the spotlight on Autodesk University
Online communities allow folks to "meet" others without traveling or juggling complex schedules.
That said, if you do get the opportunity to travel and want to get some actual face time with other construction pros, we highly recommend attending Autodesk University (AU)—a premier event that brings together industry professionals to network and learn together.
As Michaela puts it, "Digital environments are important, but there's nothing more fun than seeing people in real life. Events like AU give you a chance to meet with them, share knowledge in real-time, go to dinner with people, and then pick up the conversation the next day. It's just something that we don't often get to do."
Steven echoes this and adds that the connections you make at AU have a way of sticking with you. "It's such an awesome event. I like catching up with people you may have seen a few years ago, and you bump into the corridor even though there are 12,000 plus people here."
Laurie, for her part, highlights how the global nature of AU creates a worldwide professional network.
"You come to AU, and there are people from around the world, which blows my mind. But then you sit down, and it doesn't matter where you've just come from; you can share an inside joke about the software or something else. These things transcend wherever you are or what discipline you're in."
Opportunities to join communities often present themselves naturally as you work on projects and become more engaged in the industry.
Steven, who's part of research and feedback communities, says that his involvement stemmed from wanting to make a difference in the tools he used every day.
"I was involved in it so early because I felt I could help drive the products we were using. That's opened doors over the years and created opportunities to see people in person. That's how I've built those communities over the years."
Actively networking with others can also uncover valuable opportunities.
Both Steven and Laurie came across The Big Room when they attended Autodesk University the previous year.
"I was at AU in Las Vegas last year, and they introduced me to The Big Room there. That's where I picked it up from over the last 12 months. It's been awesome just catching up with people."
Laurie has had a similar experience learning about The Big Room during AU.
"I kept hearing about 'The Big Room' and thought, 'What is it?' So, I got involved, and it just took off from there. I tell anybody who listens to join The Big Room. It's educational, and it's also fun. And those fun moments build the bridge for when you have a tough question or even a silly one. Like, 'Hey, we had a great joke the other day—by the way, I need help with this thing.'"
Digital Builder is hosted by me, Eric Thomas. Remember, new episodes of Digital Builder go live every week.
