My colleague referred me to another of his professional friends, and in the e-intro LinkedIn message, he outlined the areas we synch and suggested someone toss out the first pitch (or if baseball is not your thing, someone kick the ball first).

So I did. It’s how I operate: in the moment, optimistic, encouraging. My LinkedIn message went out, easy to read about me on LinkedIn, referring to our common friend, and offering that the recipient reply with a few days and times that work for her.

Me: Open. Flexible.

Her: Silence.

So I gave it a couple of weeks, reprised the original message, and added a comment that I had not heard back from her, and let’s try this in hopes we can make this match.

Me: Nonthreatening, offering another opportunity JIC she missed it the first time around.

Her: “Sure, I’m just extremely busy!”

That was it.

Ball back in my court.

I emailed the common connection: “I give her 1 more attempt.”

That next one would be the third strike. Then they are out.

Too busy?

  • Don’t make your burden mine. I am busy too.
  • No one wins an award for being busiest-er.
  • Don’t try to impress me that way because it will not.
  • Or be a pro and offer a date and time when you are not, as a more consultative reply.

In my friend’s and in my minds, she doesn’t know what she is missing.

And if she does this one more time, I will definitely know what I missed: self-aggrandizement, self-impression, and self-inflicted denial.

Who needs any of that in our network?

Not me.