Before I answer that question directly, my advice is to make a “forever resolution” to only connect to people you already know, or seek to get to know better after a first encounter.

Start today.

Then also resolve to look at connections on their work anniversaries (you get a reminder from LinkedIn) to determine if the intent behind your connecting ever panned out.

If not, disconnect.

Then look at long-time connections to determine if there is any life in the connectivity after x number of years.

If not, disconnect.

It’s a privilege for them to be connected to you. For you to be connected to them.

Make the most of the privilege or sever it out of self-respect and that for others.

And when you decide to disconnect, open their profile, or click on the “My Network” tab at the top of any LinkedIn page to find that person, and click disconnect. Refresh your page and you will see they went from a 1st- to a 2nd-level connection on your screen.

They will not receive any notification you disconnected, so no worries about that.

You can always reconnect later, in the circle of professional life, if they reappear as a viable colleague, and you want to try them again.

Once connected, exert effort to add value to them, and expect them to return value to you. Give it some time, and if it is a bad decision, disconnect.

You run your own connection show. Surround yourself with nurturers, nourish back, flourish.

Remember: Caveat connector.