I’m a member of a wonderful, global organization, International Women’s Forum, that supports women leaders. Last week, I had the privilege of participating in a thoughtfully designed virtual salon organized by the organization’s headquarters. The concept was simple yet powerful: Create small discussion groups by pairing chapters from different regions to foster connection and share ideas.
As a member of the Kansas Forum, I was delighted to join colleagues from Colorado and Texas in a Zoom room that quickly transformed from a meeting of strangers to a gathering of friends. Seven of us came together for what proved to be an hour of genuine connection and valuable knowledge exchange.
The session was skillfully structured, beginning with comprehensive introductions. We shared not just our names and chapters, but our tenure with the organization, roles we’ve held, conferences we’ve attended, and our professional backgrounds. One woman has been a member for more than 25 years… another joined just earlier this year! This thoughtful 30-minute foundation allowed us to establish context and discover points of connection before diving into more substantive discussions.
For the second half of our salon, we explored a practical yet engaging question: “What have been some of the best or most memorable events your chapter has organized?” The prompt was strategically designed to uncover programming ideas that could be adopted across chapters, creating a ripple effect of innovation throughout our organization.
What emerged was a wonderful blend of affirmation and inspiration. Some chapters had implemented similar successful events, validating our shared instincts about what resonates with members. More exciting were the innovative approaches certain chapters had pioneered, offering fresh perspectives and programming ideas ready for adaptation.
Perhaps most impressive was the masterful follow-up from our Colorado facilitator, Helen, who sent an email thanking each participant and highlighting one special contribution each made to the discussion. This personal touch reinforced the value of every voice and created a lasting positive impression of the experience.
After our session, I touched base with fellow Kansas Forum members who participated in other salon groups. It was affirming to hear that they, too, had equally meaningful and positive experiences. Across different virtual rooms with different chapter combinations, the format consistently created connection and valuable idea exchange, confirming the effectiveness of this organization-wide initiative.
The virtual salon achieved something remarkable in just one hour: seven members from three different chapters left feeling like we had made six new friends while gaining tangible ideas to enhance our local programming. It was a powerful reminder that thoughtful structure, meaningful prompts, and personal acknowledgment can transform a simple virtual meeting into a memorable connection opportunity.
I look forward to implementing some of the programming ideas we discovered and to future salon discussions with chapter members from across our organization.
Happy Networking!