What’s the value of your network? Does yours have a strong heartbeat or is flatlining? Do you reach out and talk to people, initiate conversation and interest?
I hear lots of conversations around this and wonder how we can really look at our online LinkedIn communities and see who is there, what they have in common, and why we are connected to them.
I like to take a look at my network from different vantage points.
1. I look at my connections under my contacts.
2. I like to review how they are tagged.
3. Since I am pretty visual, Infinity and InMaps are interesting views. I really like Infinity, it’s more inviting than looking at a list. I tend toward those with pictures first.
4. Year in Review keeps me current by showing me who, among my connections, has moved so far this year. I can also look at who moved each of the last two years. This is perhaps my favorite and a great way to remind myself to congratulate those who have moved recently.
5. Connection Timeline is cool but not sure I see as much value as some of the others but fun nonetheless. It does show what groups of people associate with a particular time and company.
Looking at your network this ways helps to see where you can create connections, where you may want to fill in and how you want to be a resource.
The value of our network, regardless of whether it is in “live” or online, is in nurturing it, respecting it and adding relevance to it. Hmm, think I have plenty to do tomorrow, now that I think of it that way……what about you?
