Surface Ripples

Linking In

As a member of LinkedIn, I’m flattered by how frequently I receive invitations from others whom I do not know inviting me to LinkIn with them.

LinkedIn, as I am sure many of us have found out, is a double-edged sword. It can be highly useful for building networks and relationships, but it can also become a nuisance when people simply reach out without any introduction.

I have a simple rule: I don’t LinkIn with anyone whom I do not know or to whom I haven’t been introduced by an existing connection. Whilst this may sound harsh, it pays to remember that once we LinkIn with someone, they have access to all our contacts. The risk is that they then contact those connections to sell something, or for other questionable purposes.

I believe that I have a responsibility to those to whom I am connected on LinkedIn to make sure that their privacy is respected. I am perfectly happy to provide introductions where I believe they will be beneficial for both my contact and the person I am introducing to them.

I have, on several occasions, when faced with a request to LinkIn with someone I don’t know, reached out to mutual contacts to ask them about the person concerned. Sadly, I have often received the reply, “I don’t really know them.”

In real life, one does not walk up to total strangers and ask. “Will you be my friend?”  That sort of behaviour is likely to get you arrested!  “Networking Events” are different because the purpose is clearly stated, and people go with an agenda.  Personally, I feel that reaching out to LinkIn with someone should only happen once you have established contact either at a social or business networking function or after being introduced by a mutual contact. 

In short, I am happy to LinkIn with anyone who is either introduced by one of my contacts, or with whom I have formed a connection through social or business events. I appreciate that business these days is less about what you know than about whom you know. I am a firm believer in networking, but I also believe that there is a “right” and a “wrong” way of doing so.

To summarise:

• If we wish to LinkIn with someone whom we don’t know, we should first find out if we have any mutual connections and ask them to introduce us.
• If we have no mutual connection but still wish to link in, then we should preface our request to connect with a brief message as to why we wish to connect.

Remember networking should be a win-win situation. It should not be a case of one in the relationship leveraging off the goodwill of the other.

I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management.  I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.  For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.

Labels: Career, Social, Strategy

posted by William Martin @ 10:28