When it comes to a rapidly-changing world, adaptation is critical for success. How do you ensure that you and your co-workers’ messages aren’t lost in translation? Are you speaking the same language as the ‘incoming class’ of workers, or are Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials stuck in a well-intentioned tower of Babel?

Join the Pittsburgh Emerging Arts Leaders and special guest Dr. Michael Bridges, the Associate Director of Educational Support at the Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence at Carnegie Mellon University, as we learn about issues of inter-generational miscommunication. Dr. Bridges’ background in social psychology includes extensive work in personality, motivation, and generational differences.

An event of the Pittsburgh Emerging Leaders Network and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, hosted by Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre and the University of Pittsburgh Repertory Theatre.

The event will be a networking reception for members of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council and the Allegheny County Bar Association.

The Arts & Law Committee has been revived with a goal of fostering partnerships between the local arts and legal communities. This event serves as our inaugural meeting between the two communities. We look forward to meeting you and expect that this will be the beginning of many successful and rewarding relationships.

The reception will be followed by Prime Stage Theater's performance of Twelve Angry Men at 8 pm. An on-stage discussion of the play will follow the performance.

The event will include an open bar and heavy hors d'oeuvres. For more information, please contact Julie Meder at 412.471.8815.

Please RSVP by March 9, 2009 through: ProArtsTickets or by calling 412.394.3353 during the hours of 10 am-5:30 pm, Monday through Friday and noon-5:30 pm on Saturday. The networking reception is free to all invited. If you wish to attend the performance, tickets may be purchased for $20 each through ProArtsTickets.

Does this situation sound familiar to you?

In the interest of professional development, you go to a networking event. You walk into the room and survey the sea of somewhat-familiar faces huddled in small groups. You see a few people you'd like to meet, but aren't quite sure how to approach them. You hover by the refreshments table and eat your dinner of fruit and cheese (again!), then head to the bar for a glass of wine. Finally, you spy someone you know across the room who also has that "What do I do here?" look on their face. The two of you talk to each other - forming your own huddled group - throw back your wine, and leave… without making a single new connection. You know you missed the boat… but how do you make that real connection?

If you are an emerging arts leader, you've probably figured out that building a network of professional connections is going to be vital to your career. At this summer's Emerging Arts Leaders event, join Peggy Outon of the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management for a new look at genuine networking-both why and how. Peggy will share new insights from last year's Nexus Dialogues on the role and value of building "social capital" in communities today, contributing new ideas for how emerging arts leaders can grow their network of colleagues. You'll leave the evening with at least one new connection and a better idea of the social capital that you can offer-as told back to you by your peers. You'll also leave as a stronger part of our own community of emerging arts leaders.

Want to read more about the Nexus research before you come? Download the Nexus Monograph (PDF, 34 pages).