Busywork or Network

“All know the way, few actually walk it.” – Bodhidharma

If the 5th century Buddhist monk I just quoted was alive today, I suspect he’d understand more about how to use LinkedIn than many of our clients, and if truth be told, many of us.

When it comes to that gold standard for professional networking, many think they know the way; few find the best path. To them, it’s a numbers game. The more people they have in their network, the “better” it is. I believe it’s value, not quantity, that counts.

The “more-is-better” ideas may stem from the old “conventional” definition of networking: a mutually mortifying ritual wherein people impose on every friend, relative, and total stranger to ask them for something they cannot give – a job. People’s natural aversion to rejection causes them to shrink from the very idea. No wonder they “build” their networks by reaching out almost exclusively to friends and colleagues.

Let’s replace that model with something more satisfying and genuinely useful. Networking should be the natural preference to extend value to others without any expectation of an immediate return. This definition implies durable, mutually satisfying relationships – and is incompatible with seeking large numbers or having our network primarily composed of peers.

Please don’t misunderstand. I’d be lost without the wisdom and support I get from my colleagues. But that help comes not from LinkedIn in-mails, but from PARW/CC’s regular bulletins and professional journals.

An ideal network should include individuals with information we need and people we might help in return. We can apply that definition to consider who might be a member of a career coach’s or resume writer’s network. Our goal is to have sources for information useful to us and our clients.

Consider the following examples. An attorney specializing in employment law, a marketing professional, a life coach, an author who publishes in our field, top performers in the careers to which our clients are drawn, educators, Congressional aides who work on legislation that affects jobs, an economist, a public relations leader, a member of the media, a website designer, a financial planner, an IT expert…all these are people we might need to consult. All these have careers we might help them manage in return for their help.

Where do we find such people? Look to your clients first. You know their capabilities firsthand and so can pick the best from every career field you support. Reaching out to satisfied clients lowers the chance of rejection as well.

But LinkedIn offers yet another great source: LinkedIn groups. Groups are communities that share your interest.

Since “groups” is one of the choices on LinkedIn’s main menu, they are easy to find. In fact, LinkedIn will even suggest groups you might like. You might also want to search the Groups Directory. There you can use key words and categories to zero in on the best choices.

Can’t find a group that works exactly right? Start one yourself! That menu choice will help you broadcast brief and more detailed descriptions of the group. Describe the group by the value it offers members. You can arrange to take in only people you approve (a good idea). Finally, you can choose to have your group shown in the Group Directory.

Use your membership in existing groups to recruit members into your group. Be sure to show them how joining your group complements (but never replaces) groups to which they already belong.

All this helps build a powerful, really useful, network for you. But there are even more advantages. Members of groups communicate with each other through LinkedIn without using the expensive in-mail system.

Think of these groups as mini blogs. Often your posting will appear when you Google yourself. The more relevant, powerful “hits” people get on your name, the stronger your brand. But remember, groups are not a way to actively promote your business. LinkedIn and its members have a low tolerance for direct selling or, as they call it, spam.

As you build your network, strive to be the first one to offer value. Would one member benefit from an introduction to another? Did you come across an idea, a website, or an article that might interest members of groups to which you belong? Your network will be much more supportive if you demonstrate your value before asking for help.

LinkedIn wants you to invite only those you “know and trust” into your network. To help you, when someone sends a request to join your network through LinkedIn, you’ll have three choices. “Accept,” speaks for itself.

“Archive” means you know the person who has asked to join your network, but don’t want to connect with him or her. “I don’t know [this person]” is pejorative. People who collect too many “I don’t know” responses have their LinkedIn accounts restricted. It’s possible to get “unrestricted,” but as LinkedIn experts point out, “that will require some groveling.”

To be safe, make the first contact outside LinkedIn, usually via email. It’s here where you offer value to the person with whom you want to connect. Once you have their permission to link up with them, then use the “canned” in mail within LinkedIn to make the actual connection. The connections are mutual. If I accept your invitation to join your network, you become a member of my network at the same time.

Offer value to new members of your network by suggesting which LinkedIn group might serve them well. You might even recommend your new contacts’ group moderators.

I’ve used LinkedIn as a model to illustrate the value in building a useful network, not just large numbers of people you probably won’t be able to help. My goal was to place you in the center of a truly rewarding community.

That’s a powerful tool to help your clients not only know the way but actually walk it.