Submitted by PierG on
in
Forums
Mike/Mark,
great podcast again!!!
I have a question.
You said: let your network grow as much as possible AND keep in touch (and of course GIVE GIVE GIVE).
Do I have to hit ctrl+shift+K for EVERY person in my network?? Hundreds of reminders???
I understand that I don't have to filter when 'adding' people to my network: do I have to filter in making contacts?
Grazie,
PierG
Network size
PierG-
Glad you liked the cast!
Answer: No, you don't "have" to. If you have hundreds or thousands of people in your network, it may feel overwhelming.
That said, I do. BUT, a key difference that I did NOT make clear in the cast is that I can't always act on every reminder. In other words, I didn't get to every mail/call this past weekend, because of Drake. And, I probably won't "make them up."
And, when you do this, there's going to come a time when it irritates you - you're going to dread it on some days. My guidance then is to NOT call or mail... just let it go that day. It's not any ONE call that matters... it's the process of not losing contact over time, because relationships are ALWAYS decaying.
On the other hand, remember that some of the people in your network are not going to "need" a reminder, even though it pops up. In other words, your boss will have a reminder pop up... but you'll be able to ignore it. I found that when I started this, it elevated my relationships to the front of my mind often enough that I was connecting with them in ways that made the reminders less necessary - I had already talked to them about a project, an issue, whatever.
So, no, you don't have to. But I do...and sometimes I let myself off the hook. Whatever approach you take, try it for a while ("beta" it) and then keep what works and change what doesn't.
Ciao!
Mark