Networking in the COVID-19 era opens opportunities for professionals of color, Laura Morgan Roberts writes

September 17, 2020


Center for Positive Organizations (CPO) faculty affiliate Laura Morgan Roberts writes about ‘Remote Networking as a Person of Color’ in the Harvard Business Review.

The article examines how professionals of color can leverage networking during the COVID-19 pandemic. Roberts and fellow researcher Anthony J. Mayo suggest that some of the barriers that existed before the era of remote work and physical distancing — travel, cost or scheduling conflicts — no longer prevent professionals of color from networking.

“In fact, the Covid-19 crisis may create new, more attractive opportunities for building relationships with people who can share valuable information about opportunities, provide honest assessments of strengths and weaknesses, and advocate for promotions,” the researchers write.

Roberts is a Professor of Practice at the University of Virginia. Her book, Race, Work and Leadership: New Perspectives on the Black Experience, was published by the Harvard Business Review Press.