My Linkedin Dilemma . . .
By Kris | September 27th, 2006 1 Comment »
I received a request to add a person to my linkedin account the other day. How this person got my info, I’m not sure, but I don’t know this person.
It turns out that this person writes a blog/column for an industry in which I am very involved. I could link to this person in order to get press or publicity, so I wonder if I should accept this person’s invitation to swap info on Linkedin or whether I should use the service strictly as a means to create meaningful relationships and network with professionals–genuine relationships rather than a means to an end.
Anyone out there have a suggestion?
I think the primary determining factor should be your intentions. If you saw this link as a precursor to developing a new relationship, then go for it. However, if your main motivation is self-serving, the relationship really does not exist and it’s not going to meaningfully help either one of you. I believe that it’s this type of thinking that dilutes the power of the networks and causes people to wholesale move from one networking service to another.