Fact or Fiction?  We are ALL connected on this planet by six degrees of separation.  The premise is that we live in a small world that is growing smaller day by day with  technology and communications.  So, is it fact or urban myth that we are all just five introductions or six degrees from meeting anyone, anywhere?  If you care to cast your vote before reading on and are a member of LinkedIn, you can weigh in at with this poll.  Results are shared.

Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon is a trivia game that popularized the notion of six degrees of separation.  The game contends that any and all actors can be connected by their roles to a Kevin Bacon film.  (I am not sure and can only conjecture that Kevin Bacon’s agent may have been the one behind the game.  The game certainly enhanced his name recognition or “personal brand.”)

The man who most notably tested this “small world” concept is Stanley Milgram.  Ivan Misner, the Founder and Chairman of BNI, in his book The 29% Solution shares the findings of Milgram’s studies.  The task was to forward materials from individuals in one part of the country to an individual in another part of the country.  For example, people were asked to forward a package to a named art curator in Ohio using people they know to forward the package.

So what happened?  Less than two thirds of the packages arrived and 71% of the packages never were delivered.  Thank goodness those entrusted with the packages aren’t working for the US Postal Service!  On average, when the package was delivered it took five or six connections to do so with a range of 2 to 10 connections.  So, it is a myth, not a fact, that ALL are connected by six degrees of separation.

So, in this “small world” where information is moving ever faster and faster and where people are connecting more readily on LinkedIn, facebook and other social networks, what is the implication?  If you are a job seeker and buy into the myth, you might believe that in time you will be connected to your next career opportunity.  If you are a consultant or professional in any field looking to make connections with other professionals or build new client relationships, you cannot assume that the desired connections will come to you.  Relationships and social networks are cultivated via communications that are ongoing, whereby the relationship is mutually rewarding.  Net”working” is work and a skill required by all like reading, writing and speaking if one is to survive in the coming decade of the workplace.  It can be learned.

Have you made resolutions in this new year, new decade to improve your networking and your relationships?  Subsequent articles in this blog will offer suggestions as to how one can develop their networking skills and cultivate better relationships.