See Networking Relationship and MyLinkWiki ActiveNetworkers
Introduction
What does it mean to be a connection? There are no standards. For some people it means that we blow air kisses, for others it's a blood oath. I established my Personal Networking Contract to share my thoughts and expectations. (That and it was necessary as part of my LinkedIn probation - seriously - when they canceled my account 16,000 connections and a few years ago. But I digress.) It's my pledge of support for my network. I require that all my LinkedIn connections agree to support me in kind. And I extend it to all my business networking contacts. (No, you don't have to sign anything and it's not legally binding!) Feel free to use or adapt this to your own purposes and email me with any suggestionas.
Update - 2/21/09. Wonderful LinkedIn has capped the number of connections, which I'm well over. Managing my contact relationship through LinkedIn is no longer possible, necessitating changes to this Contract.
-- MarcFreedman, Your LinkDaddy
Who am I
My networking contacts comes from many different spheres. I am honored to be a part of your network. That carries a responsibility that I take seriously. I pledge to help, support, and inform you so that we both may grow and succeed in our personal and business endeavors. The following outlines some specific aspects of my commitment.
The Contract
Current
I will provide current information on my email address(es), other forms of contact as appropriate, and my availability either directly or through our mutual online network. I will make sure that my primary email address on LinkedIn is current.
Timely
I will endeavor to process your emails and Networking Requests on a timely basis, provided they are direct personal requests. Please understand however that like you I receive an unholy number of emails and sometimes have to prioritize them and so may not be able to respond as quickly as I’d like. Also just like you I may be unavailable due to intense personal or business demands, travel, and even vacation, at least I used to know what that was.
Contacts
I will use the online network where we are connected for requests or contacts over that network. I will not ask you for email addresses of individuals unless you and I have a close relationship or there is an emergency.
Business Updates
If I contact you specifically for a non-networking company or product, I will provide and use a separate commercial mailing list that you can opt out of. My Blue mailing list is here. Please do sign up there for any of our newsletters.
Networking Updates
Staying in touch with your contacts is a fundamental part of networking. How can I help you, or vice versa, if I don't know what's new and what you currently seek or provide? Indeed LinkedIn provides and enables such updates in several places (when you change your profile, create a LinkedIn question, refer a member, post a job, etc.) I will send you updates generally no more than once every one to three months. These updates will support our NetworkingRelationship. I invite you to similarly update me.
Directness
I will not use default forms for updates as they do not respect you and your time. They provide virtually no information and force you to start up your browser and then search for what is new on my profile. Instead I will provide the new information for the updates in the message subject and body itself. If a social network does not allow me to do this, I will use email.
Reciprocity
I trust you feel similarly in return as a part of my network. If you do not agree with this social contract, do not feel that you can commit the same to me, or do not accept my ongoing contact, please break our network connection immediately.
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