Networking is generally considered to be an essential part of business marketing these days. Some networkers prefer to gather a wide range of contacts that they hardly know and others prefer small closed groups where deeper relationships can be cultivated. The latter group value friendships rather than the 'weak ties' offered by acquaintances. In 'The Tipping Point' (2000) Malcolm Gladwell highlights the social power gained by those with a large number of acquaintances.
He describes research by Granovetter (1974) that showed that when it comes to finding a job, for example, acquaintances are more helpful than friends. This is because our friends are very similar to ourselves in terms of who and what they know whereas our acquaintances usually live in a very different environment to ourselves and therefore 'they are more likely to know something that you don't' (Gladwell 2000 p. 54)
When you are looking for a new opportunity or feel that you are stuck in a rut, do you find it easier to share that with a friend or with an acquaintance? Personally, I would find it quite easy to share that with a friend who enjoys listening and being a good sounding board, but I would not expect them to offer any solutions to help me get out of the rut. In fact, they themselves may be part of that rut you are complaining about!
Although Gladwell advocates the power of acquaintances, he makes the clear distinction between using this as a business strategy and being a natural "Connector" that genuinely loves and takes an interest in people without any ulterior motive. As an example of a "Connector", he describes a very successful businessman called Horchow who was puzzled that his 'people collection' could be thought of as a business strategy rather than just an intrinsic part of his nature. In other words, it is the natural and genuine curiosity that creates opportunities and not a manipulative kind of false interest.
Even though the number of acquaintances you have may represent your social power as Gladwell suggests, the quality, or 'strength of weak ties', a term coined by Granovetter (1974), must surely be based on interest that is honest, respectful and kind?
So here's something to ponder over: Are you collecting contacts as a business strategy or are you genuinely interested in the people you are choosing to connect with? What results are you getting?
References
Gladwell, M., 2000 The Tipping Point, Little Brown & Company, UK
Granovetter, M., 1995 Getting a Job, University of Chicago Press, USA
Author of "You're So Lucky!"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jesvir_Mahil
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7249463
No comments:
Post a Comment