Exploring the intersection between digital connection, community strategy, local communities, belonging, permaculture principles, sustainability, and psychology. My work analyses the systems that prop up our current networking practices and looks at practical steps we can unlearn to build stronger networks that serve both people and the planet.
The One Question That Filters Genuine Connections
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💬 As part of my new weekly series, here are three ideas to help you cultivate more connection this week: 1️⃣ Support Your Existing Activities Use social media to support your existing activities. You're missing a huge opportunity if you aren't connecting with people you already interact with daily and new people you meet through current work activities. Connect with these people on LinkedIn, or follow them on Instagram or your platform of choice. This includes customers, suppliers, speakers you hear, current colleagues, past colleagues, alumni, and so on. While much online networking advice focuses on outreach to strangers, your next client or opportunity will likely come from the network you're already building around you. If you don't have any existing activities that naturally connect you with others, consider what activities might better support your goals for being on LinkedIn, Instagram, or your preferred platform. 2️⃣ Permission to Ignore In our online worlds, we get caught in unwanted message loops. Most people find this draining, and I believe it's one of the reasons many despise online social media and networking platforms. If you need permission not to reply to unwanted messages, here it is: Sometimes, opening the dialogue (even if it's just to politely decline) drains more of your time and energy. Simply ignoring them will save you time, and your time is worth that. Occasionally, you'll need to respond to stop future messages, but I don't believe etiquette should automatically require an answer to every email or DM. Also note: if you're using automation tools to send messages on LinkedIn, please stop. It looks inauthentic, breaks the user agreement, and risks losing your account. 3️⃣ The One Question That Filters Genuine Connections If you do decide to respond and suspect the message might be automated, respond with this question: "What specifically about my profile prompted you to reach out?" This question asks for something back—the sender's time. If you use your time to consider their message, the least they can do is offer theirs in return. This immediately distinguishes people who value genuine relationships from those playing a numbers game. Relationships require interest and time to get to know someone, and online that starts with engaging meaningfully with someone's profile or website. In all the time I've used this question, I've never received a valid response (except from someone who admitted I wasn't a target client and gracefully apologised). Looking forward to hearing whether any of these ideas resonate with you this week! You can reply or leave a comment online if you'd like. Until next time, Anna |
Networking: A New Manifesto
Exploring the intersection between digital connection, community strategy, local communities, belonging, permaculture principles, sustainability, and psychology. My work analyses the systems that prop up our current networking practices and looks at practical steps we can unlearn to build stronger networks that serve both people and the planet.
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