Chain letters are not normally business-like, but there’s a parallel here.
See the NPR article “The Friendship Bread Project: Can Baking Promote Unity in a Divided World?” for a new twist on an old activity that might be able to make our world a little bit more cohesive.
It’s based on an old concept: share with others, pass it around. Everyone wins. But please, don’t break the chain.
I recall my mother had a chain letter of sorts going among her 1970s housewife friends as they passed around preserved peaches. And a little fermentation never hurt anyone…
The parallel to LinkedIn is how you share your knowledge and expertise and here just 5 ideas that come instantly to mind:
- Routinely share articles you liked reading and comment why. Be a thought leader and sharer.
- Make comments on others’ comments to enlarge the conversation. Be congratulatory and take a second to acknowledge career milestones.
- Show yourself in action: advise others of your speaking engagements and published accomplishments. Be sure to let others know how your viewpoint can help them.
- Advise others in your field of new developments and trends you spot. Be positive and show you are open to new ideas.
- Try to on-board new connections with an item they may find useful, showing you thought enough of them not only to connect, but also to share your time, mindfulness and energy. Be the catalyst that makes the new relationship bud.
Let your relationships ferment and bloom. The rising and baking process only make the space you share with others more fragrant and healthy. Try it. You’ll like it.
