Iā€™m amazed by the number of people that seem to be afraid of meeting new people. Or just miss all kinds of chances to make new connections every day.

Going to meetups and other networking events might not be for everyone (especially networking events are pretty boring anyway). But, when you see new people walking around the office, it is super easy to walk up to them and introduce yourself.

Simple trick: act like the host. Works around the office, works on parties (take coats, get drinks, introduce people to people, that kind of stuff).

Making connections within your company is one of the best ways to stay in the loop, get involved in new things and generally be better at what you do. Keeping and building relationships outside of your company helps you learn and keep an open mind.