Why should I connect with you on LinkedIn?
What is the reason for being connected to 3,459 people on LinkedIn if I do not know who they are and what they stand for? What if someone asks me to introduce them to someone I am connected with – but do not even know? To me, it just becomes too superficial.
That said, I very seldom get such requests to introduce someone to others and a recent online discussion made me reconsider my approach to LinkedIn. The discussion prompted questions like these: Should I view LinkedIn as more of a “see how many I am connected with” rather than a picture of my real network? Should I just connect with everyone and expand my reach even though I find my reach to be just fine with my current number of contacts and my group memberships?
The discussion reminded me that there are different approaches on networking and that there really are no clear right or wrong answers to this. Many people have second thoughts with regards to their networking approaches so I find this to be an important message.
We should also recognize that even experienced networkers have different approaches and second thoughts. When I get LinkedIn invitations from people I do not know, I politely refuse to connect with them. It is my policy to connect only with people whom I have met in real life or had enough virtual interaction with so that I get an idea of what the person stands for. I believe this creates better value for myself and the people in my network. Some people disagree in this approach, but it has always been respected. That is until recently.
Someone felt offended that I forwarded a proposal for an open innovation event as I had previously declined to connect personally on LinkedIn. I was even accused of having no credibility within open innovation as the person could not understand how I could work with open innovation as I did not accept all invitations to connect on LinkedIn.
I was challenged and puzzled. I reflected on this. In the end, I do not think we are so different in our approaches. We just have a different lever of when to connect. This became clear to me when I asked a question that I often ponder: What is the value others seek or expect when they send me an invitation to connect even though we do not know each other?
One answer is that some people connect with others regardless of their knowledge of each other because they do not want to block serendipity. I choose a different approach. I like being able to look at my connections and being able to connect/remember all of them to the interactions I have had with them. I get invitations to connect on a daily basis and I am simply afraid that if I connect with all these people, it will decrease the value of my true network. I choose to be more selective and targeted in my network-building approach.
With regards to open innovation and whether I have any credibility on this, I believe it is possible to separate your personal relationships with your views and work on open innovation. An example is the many interactions I have with great people through the various LinkedIn groups that I participate in, including the one I run at Leadership + Innovation by Stefan Lindegaard. I can share knowledge and insights with so many people even though we are not personally connected on LinkedIn.
We do not have to be connected personally to create value for each other. For me, the personal connection comes when we have gotten to know more about each other and have begun to develop the trust I think is needed to start building a relationship and share our connections. This is just my approach. Others disagree. That is just fine and one of the strange things with networking – there are no clear right or wrong approach on this.
The end of the story is that my threshold of when to connect with others might have been moved a bit – but I still stick to my initial approach to LinkedIn.
I am sure many others struggle on developing their approach to virtual networks. It would be great to hear your stories, input and suggestions on this.
Stefan, I use LinkedIn as somewhat of a rolodex. But even for that, the application’s information design doesn’t allow me to categorize or tag contacts in a meaningful way. I asked the community manager if such a feature was/could be available, but at the time (6mo. ago) he said that ability was available to premium members who were recruiters.
If useful data cannot be effectively indexed according to personalized parameters, the potential user benefits are lost.
I’ve been using Twitter to connect with smart individuals online, and the problem is the same there. To keep my sanity, I’ve developed an Excel spreadsheet with the usernames of the most important individuals across various disciplines (named columns). It helps.
Facebook does have a friends list which really helps, although I just started using that. While the connections in Facebook in the aggregate tend to be more personal, for the business connections with greater interpersonal proximity the list can be helpful.
Hi Stefan,
I agree totally with your approach. My virtual connections through LinkedIn have been through a discussion group where we both have the opportunity to understand each others view and value system. The remaining connections are those I respect and have worked with or were introduced face to face. I try to stay in contact with my connections as any normal network should.
One LION wrote that just because your are an open network individual it does not obligate you to connect. I also have disconnected a couple of the open network connections for various reasons.
Recruiter networks with thousands of connections is in my view almost a necessity. I would connect with several of these with just a simple intro since they are privy to many contract opportunities and generally work on a finders fee. Even then I do diligence on the firm to insure they have a good standing to what I feel is respectable.
The other issue is on-line social networks (web2.0) is still in it infancy and some of the norms are still being established. It will be interesting to see this network grow into the Web 3.0 era.
I could't agree more, Stefan. So, what I'll do is join the group that is about the essence of my passion as well and see what interesting discussions come out of that.
Cheers.
Hi there –
After reading your article one thing came in my mind that you are absolutely right. Linkedin is a professional networking website which are use to cascade the business related information and that too only with those people whom we think that they can be helpful in our business or job. This is not a social networking website wherein we discuss likes and dislikes and personal information. Yes, we can add friends if we know them personally.
Everyone has to understand this that if they aren't in the same industry then they should not send any invitations and all….
My approach mirrors yours, Stefan. I will only connect to people with whom I have *some* direct (positive) experience, and who I would recommend / refer to others. Sure there is a wide spectrum of ‘degree of experience’ with a potential contact, but I set my threshold ~high to keep the time I spend on communication –mostly incoming– manageable. Think of it as a metatag attached to a connection– I want to be sure that I know something more about another person before I spend time on them, and being in the same group isn’t automatically sufficient reason. (Send me a message first, then we’ll connect if the relationship is worth maintaining.) A huge list of names without metatags is called a “phone book” (or Rolodex), not so much a network.
I don’t “get” the LION approach beyond what you describe, with one possible exception: recruiters. I will connect to some recruiters with whom I’ve already spoken, and I will drop them if they refuse to forward introductions & communication… but being linked to them *is* an easy way to keep fresh resumes in front of them, in their “inner circle” of candidates. It’s a compromise I sometimes make.
That all being said, this is simply *my* approach; your mileage may vary. LIONs can link to all the other LIONs they want, and we can coexist peacefully within LinkedIn, but they shouldn’t get torqued if I won’t use the tool the same way they do. (And why someone would be angry with you for forwarding LION event info to other LIONs is beyond me: you helped them out while preserving your own approach.)
LinkedIn staff have restated their vision / intent for the tool in their blog (inside LinkedIn), and it’s not the same as Facebook or Twitter. Thankfully they are policing more these days, removing accounts that violate the terms of use, and eliminating the most egregious violations.
I understand and see logic in only connecting with those you have actually met. However, I also agree everyone must find their level to which they are willing to make connections.
Here's my approach. If there is some logical commonality between the person asking to connect and myself, then I will accept. I see LinkedIn as a great way to network and share resources between and among people. So, if someone is in my industry, uses the same software tools, or applies similar skills, etc., then I see potential advantage of networking and sharing resources.
Thanks for the thought provoking post.
It is basically an interesting queston the Stefan is posting.
Recently I have invited people to connect that I never really met, but whom I think could be of value to me in my start of new business. But honestly – afterwards I really felt a little bit bad about it. But I do not consider LinkedIn as a social network but purely as a business network. If it was a social network, I would never do it.
So basically, I do agree with Stefan in his considerations for linking up with people. On the other hand, I think some people put prestige in having a lot of connections. Many of them could be people they have not really met, but it looks good to others!
But if you have the point of view that Stefan has, I wonder what he would do if he got invitations from lets say Jørgen Mads Clausen, Lars Rebien Sørensen and the like (without ever meeting them – off course). Would he also turn them down politely?
My point is – could there be an element of “hard to get” for people with Stefans view? Maybe a snob effect?
Hello Stefan,
I agreed with your approach in that we don’t need to connect personally in order for us to create value for each other. I’ve enjoyed reading your insights on innovation, because I’m passionate about the impact it has on organizations and overall in the world we live in. I’m also a inspired Leader in the sense that I bring the notion of innovation into my work and lead by example.
Having read your posts regularly, the value you’ve created has been great! Yet we are not connected personally through LinkedIN! This is spontaneous in the sense that we connect virtually through the attraction of the innovation movement and sharing this affirmation through insights experiences and dialogue. Have a great week!
Stefan,
As you and I have discussed in another venue, my approach to LinkedIn mirrors yours. I have met everyone in my network face to face except for roughly three people and those three know many of my business contacts and we participate in a LinkedIn group for my region, so I'm sure we'll meet eventually.
The number of requests to link I receive from people I've had no contact with at all seems to have dropped significantly in the past year. I have taken this to mean that others are coming around to my point of view – that it's not really meaningful or helpful to connect with people you haven't interacted with in some way, whether it be through LinkedIn groups or a similar forum.
I wanted to respond to Mario's comments re: Twitter. If you use Tweet Deck, you can set up different groups and divided the people you're following up that way. No need for Excel spreadsheets!
Best,
Jeanne
Just because I’m intrigued by an approach to LinkedIn that I personally don’t follow, I followed a link re: “Marketing in LinkedIn.” Some of the text from that website:
“WHY be an open networker on LinkedIn?
It is a great way of self promotion
You can use it to get a job or sell products or services or get funding
[...]
[...]
Joining these groups will allow you to add people at random…”
Wow. “At random” is diametrically opposed to how many people use LinkedIn, and I think not in line with LinkedIn’s stated intention. “Self promotion” also isn’t exactly networking. However if people taking both approaches can ‘function’ inside LinkedIn without disrupting the other, great… I guess. I just hope that “random linking” users & groups can resist the temptation to start “marketing” –as opposed to networking– at what they consider a captive audience, or the tool will fall out of favor. Please, consider the “LION” approach as opt-in, not opt-out, and don’t carpet-bomb the groups.
“Random.” Yow.
Jeanne is absolutely right; using Tweetdeck groups is the preferred way to maintain meaningful communication streams. Since I’m doing a lot of writing though and follow a lot of people in various segments (business, design, media, ngo) an Excel sheet does come in handy. I accidentally deleted a group in tweetdeck a few days ago, and the sheet allowed me to repopulate the relevant people by username within a half hour. Until someone builds a reliable contact management system, any of these methods are the best we can do. I suggest Apple or Virgin!
Hi Stefan,
Interesting reflections. That your threshold was moved is interesting. Would you say that it was moved as a consequence of the social networking tool being in place and the possibility of connecting with many has presented itself??
If yes, how do you think that will accelerate in the future when more people make use of social networking? How will it change what we refer to as “relationship”?
The next tool to take this discussion a step further is Twitter. Mario (http://stefanlindegaard.com/2009/05/04/why-should-i-connect-with-you-on-linkedin/comment-page-1/#comment-227) mentioned that previously in one of his comments.
After having used LinkedIn for several years, I now connect to about 1000 people with it. On Twitter the growth rate is more impressive – http://twitterholic.com/thusgaard/ shows my follower growth to be about 450 over the past 4 months. Obviously I have no clue who all of these people are, but at the same time I AM loosely connected to them.
How will we see that kind of relationships 5 years from now?
Stefan I agree with you.
I have a few LION in my network (for various reasons), but on two occassions I have asked them a specific, individual question or asking for assistance and I have yet to get any positive feedback, nor even an acknowledgement of having received my message.
In my opinion the value of these people becomes very diminished and practically useless to me.
Hi Stefan,
"I get invitations to connect on a daily basis and I am simply afraid that if I connect with all these people, it will decrease the value of my true network. I choose to be more selective and targeted in my network-building approach."
My sentiments exactly. I like the provocative article. I felt and to a large extent still feel the same way. In fact, when I would ask that questions, my friends would laugh. Today, especially as an entrepreneur with an online media company, I have a different approach. I do add people who request and I have had the privilege of meeting some creatively intelligent persons that way. . . .
Cheers,
Uduak
Hi Stefan:
First of all, let me state that your article is really thoughtful. Good Job. I actually asked this question on linkedin today as I happen to have the same policy as you. http://www.linkedin.com/answers/using-linkedIn/UL…
Another approach is that you can ever connect to someone's network and if you do not like what you see then disconnect at once. This way you do not miss some hidden valuable networks around Linkedin. I offer myself as a first try to you to see if it is useful or not..
Regards.
Agree with your blog input here. I too am on Linkedin and see the value of linking up only when I have some kind of interaction with the person online or offline. I wouldn't want to add anyone who is a complete stranger who has no form of identity that is linked to the fields I am in. I do not believe in connecting blindly into the hundreds either. Too often, such connections are mere additions to numbers apart from solid relationships online.
What I do believe is that social media is about potential collaboration and current collaboration. Its about networking and sharing of ideas and thoughts with people who may be your prospective collaborators. You wouldn't know where this will lead to but definitely at base point, you've already again a massive amount of tacit knowledge and a clique of friends whom you could grow with online/offline.