When you join a new group, whether it is for work, personal or something as easy as a meetup, the expectation is that you are going to learn from the group’s collective experience and knowledge and grow your own.
At some point, as you continue to engage, share and contribute you will become a part of the group – a contributor – going from newbie status to actually deserving of the title of member.
You might even reach out to individual members to offer help and suggestions on their work or posts outside of the group and cultivate a network.
And in time, they will do the same, they will see that you are here to help and do more than simply leech from the group’s past accomplishments but rather grow the group at the same time as growing yourself.
You can be the leech, who gets what you need and moves on, or you can give what you can and hopefully receive the feedback and guidance that you need to really get better and continue to grow.
No one is watching, it’s up to you, but I think we’d all agree who we’d rather have in the group.
