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Six Degrees of Separation – Urban Myth or Not?

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

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.

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“Brilliant!” they said – LinkedIn™, Networking & Events

Friday, October 9th, 2009

Often we attend networking events with the limited purpose of being available to meet others and re-connect with those we know.  Maybe we make a connection, maybe not.  Networking need not be left to chance, it can be more purposeful than this.  The following strategy optimizes your networking ROR… What’s that you say?  ROR is the return on relationships, a term coined by Kathleen Pringle, a career coach and strategist.  I suggest you consider the following pay-it-forward approach prior to attending the next networking event.

Browse your Rolodex, collection of contacts or your LinkedIn™ contacts.  Identify two people you think would benefit from meeting each other and make arrangements to make the pay-it-forward introduction at an upcoming event.  That’s pretty simple.

3 Simple Steps to Uber-Networking with Uber-ROR using LinkedIn™

  1. Identify a LinkedIn event that you’ll attend soon that would be of general professional interest.
  2. Browse the list provided by LinkedIn™ of attendees and the “Interested.”  Identify those you’d like to re-connect with at the event.
  3. Consider who they’d like to meet from your network.  Forward the LinkedIn™ profiles of each professional to the other person stating that you’d like to facilitate an introduction at the event.

Why wait for event registrants?  Browse your own network and consider an introduction you can make and begin setting it up using the event to make the introduction. I expect you’re seeing the paying-it-forward strategy working here and how it can enhance the ROR with those you are connecting and the value of the event.  Turbo-charge the pay-it-forward philosophy and ask those you will be introducing to follow the same strategy.

Have a need to meet someone yourself?

LinkedIn™ can really accelerate and optimize this process.  Let me explain how. After identifying the desired attendee to meet, use LinkedIn™ to determine who in your network is connected to the desired professional.  Pick up the phone and make a call suggesting that the event would provide a chance to make the connection since the desired contact is already interested or attending the event.

Simply stated in summary come to the event with the purpose of making introductions and watch ROR blossom.  It’s pay-it-forward, the mindset of all great networkers.  Simply showing up at events is only better than not attending.

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Events, Networking & Not Working

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

The importance of professional networking is increasing as the pace of change in business accelerates and employment is more tentative and short term.  There exist in each community numerous events weekly that offer networking opportunities for professionals.   Sadly, some working professionals will refrain from attending events where there is an expected large turnout of job seekers.  Those in job transition feel obliged to attend as many networking events as they can leaving no stone unturned in the quest for new work, seeking connections that might enable them.  As Woody Allen suggests eighty percent of success is showing up.  There is truth in that, but excelling requires more than merely showing up.

There are two tribes at networking events these days, the working and those looking for it.   Watching from a distance it is sort of a cat and mouse game.  While the job seeker pursues the working for connections, the worker often avoids the job seeker fearing perhaps to catch this unemployment bug and not wanting the hear one more elevator speech and a rambling for assistance and liberation from a victimized state.

So, what is the job seeker to do at such events?  First of all, go disguised as a working professional, don’t carry anything larger than a business card and for gosh sakes, HAVE A CARD and offer it when requested!  Others encourage you to dispense as many as possible.  I think not.  If you want to know how effective you are in your networking, you need a measure of success, like cards requested.  Leave the portfolio-binder-folder home.  You’re not carrying resumes to these events!   When you carry such you may also have a mindset that will short circuit networking success.  You’re likely practicing “needworking” while not working and that’s a far cry from networking. “Needworking” is a natural inclination to share one’s skills, background and accomplishments over many years before learning the name of the person one is speaking to.  It’s a terrible affliction, but natural it seems to be.  You must learn to develop a winning networking mindset.  Tell me more you ask, I hope.

Developing the right mindset for networking is critical to achieving success.  It is especially difficult to do when stressed by unemployment.  The key is that networking is not about Y-O-U.  It never has been and never will be.  It’s about the person you are with in conversation.  It’s got to be about them first.  You must engage as an active listener earning their interest in listening to you and about your career and achievements.  What makes for active listening?  Inquire about what they are sharing with you showing a desire to understand clearly what they are saying.  Address them using their name. Be polite sprinkle in a few “please” (not pleas) thank you’s and compliments too into the conversation.  Repeat back in summary what you’ve learned and by all means ask-them-how-you-can-help-them.  You might be surprised how that pivots the conversation when their response is something like,”I’m not sure.  What do you do?”  That’s your opening in the conversation to share your story.  Remember to return to “how can I help you?”  Networking is about how we help each other.  It’s about building mutually rewarding relationships one conversation at a time.

Posted in Job Search, Networking - Making Connections | No Responses »
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LinkedIn Success – Achieve these 2 Daily Habits

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

Imagine just doing two things daily for 10 minutes would enable you to stay in touch so well with ALL in your network AND nobody gets unwanted email either.   Not only that, it’s so easy and rewarding to your networking.  Read on to learn how LinkedIn makes it so simple and all that’s really required is that you study your LinkedIn home page.

If you really wish to see the power of LinkedIn, commit to this exercise Monday through Friday for four weeks and see what happens.  Visit your LinkedIn home page daily for 10-15 minutes.  I think your observations will make apparent the power of this exercise and LinkedIn in general.  Your success and observations gleaned in this exercise will be a function of the size of your network.  A tiny network rarely provides sufficient activity to reward you with significant insight.  Grow your network.  These benefits also may not be observed depending upon your account settings.  More about that in another post.

Visit your Home Page!

1 – Update your status. Tell your network what you’re working on.  Here are some ideas.

  • Keep it work-related and beyond the mundane.
  • Tell us about your achievement or challenge today.
  • Offer praise for someone who has helped you in some manner or who has recently been recognized for a professional achievement.
  • Share a link of interest and offer some context framing it.  Use a URL shortener.
  • Ask a question or request help of your network.
  • Invite your network to share what they’re working on.   Nudge ‘em!
  • DON’T share personal insignificant details (getting a haircut), don’t whine.

2 – Review Network Updates – Today (Yesterday only if you wish to revisit)

  • Review Status Updates -  Who is doing what.  Add comment or reply privately to at least one.
    • Account settings are critical here.
  • Examine the Recommendations made by and for those in your network.
    • Note who is worth connecting to or learning more about.
    • Note what makes a compelling recommendation, many aren’t.
    • Consider writing a recommendation for someone you are connected to.
  • Examine the Groups joined by your connections.  Should you join them?
  • Note who has an updated Profile.  Examine a profile.
    • It may help you improve yours
    • You might note a promotion or an honor worth remarking on.
  • Who is attending what LinkedIn Events. Perhaps you might wish to attend as well or meet the presenter.
  • Observe the Connections Updates of your connections.  You may note people you know or would like to know.

As this is social media it is important that you first read of others’ doings, then be responsive. Stay in touch sending a brief message!  It’s not an email, but a LinkedIn internal message plunked into their LinkedIn Inbox.

Respond to every update?  Certainly not, but you can make a brief remark to many you’ve not seen in a while whose updates are noteworthy.    You’ll learn and become more active modeling others activities.  If it takes more than the suggested time, it’s because you’re engaged and learning.  Quite naturally I believe that you might undertake this exercise twice a day once in the morning and again later in the day.

Carry on!  Update your status.  Tell your network what you’re doing.  Engage them professionally.   Stay in touch letting them know you are paying attention to their updates. Send them a message.   It’s fast and easy visiting the home page.  Make it a daily habit!

Posted in Networking - Making Connections, Things LinkedIn | No Responses »
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Networking. What is it?

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

Ask me what I do and one of the things I will mention is “networking.”  What the heck is it though?  I’ve met many who believe they are practicing networking, but we’re definitely NOT on the same page.   So, let’s take a stab at defining it.

Networking is purposeful behavior.  It is social in nature.  It engages one’s communications skills fully.  The objective is the development of mutually rewarding relationships where each individual understands the needs, skills and desires of the other and commits to assisting the other.

So what are the key elements in this definition?   It all begins with a focus on the OTHER party and expressing a keen interest in understanding their traits, skills, interests, values and desires.  Subsequently when there is a discovery by each party of shared interests, there is an expressed desire to support and help each other achieve their goals and make connections to other people.  Most important is the intention of developing a relationship requiring ongoing communication and interest in serving the other party.  Both parties must share in initiating subsequent communication.  Follow-up is critical to nurturing the relationship.

In future posts I’ll explore:

  • What engages networking.
  • What attributes make one a successful networker.
  • How online networking complements and differs from face-to-face networking.
  • Differentiating Networking from “NEEDworking”
  • What is NOT networking.
  • Lessons learned.

Let’s take this as a starting point.  I welcome your remarks and feedback.  Blogging is social media.  Your opinion improves the quality of the conversation when you offer your insights and observations.  My thoughts are NOT definitive.  Hopefully they are a catalyst for thought and shared feedback.

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Finding Our Voice Here

Monday, July 13th, 2009

What are we going to post? What can you expect to read here?

I have a myriad of interests, some related, many not. I network. I connect others. I recruit and coach. I offer job search and networking advice. I’ve been called a catalyst. I start things and seek others with talents to give them richness and full maturity. I read and take pictures. I enjoy jazz, gardening, movies, public speaking, technology, the web, my dogs and nature. All will be shared here but the focus of this blog will be about LinkedIn, the social network and my observations on professional networking, career management and job search.

I hope to post weekly one article each week on LinkedIn, job search and professional networking. On weekends and days between the related postings referenced I’ll post other musings in the many sub-categories of “Beyond” where I’ll share my other interests randomly.

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