You are known by the company you keep, as the saying goes.  And, now you can even brag about it on the social networking platform of your choice.  However, on the business side of life executive coaches (among others) will tell you, if you want powerful relationships that grow your ability to be successful (not just popular), then it's even more important to surround yourself with quality relationships that promote mutual benefit.

You have seen me take this topic on before in an earlier blog (Social Networking vs. Business Networking), so I don’t need to cover that ground again.  But, the distinction between the two platforms is important to remember.  There are sure to be business network sites that come and go over time.  Right now the buzz is about Linkedin. 

I mentioned (recently) that we had a consultant address the recruiting staff here at the County, and that one of his recommendations was for recruiters to have a Linkedin account.  Following that session, I had a few new and existing users contact me requesting a connection. .  For some I see they may have initially set out to try to connect with everyone else in the department, pursuing quantity of connections as the goal.  But, this strategy may be more akin to what you might do on a social network.

 I don’t fault the enthusiasm of my fellow HR staffers in responding to the suggestion, and it isn’t as if it wasn’t good advice, but what was missing from the consultants suggestion was what to do with an account once you had it.  We were all left up to our own devices to make something out of that suggestion.  And, now you know the reason for this follow up blog entry.  I believe a discussion of the focus for business networking will be of benefit to everyone.

Turning back to my opening statement regarding powerful relationships… Yes, you want to surround yourself with the best, you want to select an inner circle of powerful connections, but more to the point, you want to do this for mutual benefit. You don't surround yourself with others for what it can do for you, but more what you can do together. Benefits created in the relationships you have, produce the result by which you are measured.  (Said another way for Boomers out there… it is better to be known by the results you create than an address book a foot thick.) 

Here it is in a nut shell… Connect with people who will profit from knowing you.  Associate with those people who will enjoy your presents, even enough to pass your name along to others. And finally, through the successes you create around you, you'll be known by the company you keep.