For all of the theories about networking, Web 2.0 and now 3.0, ORS etc, it’s people that make or break a network; how open they are, are prepared to communicate and exchange ideas and so on.

And I’m glad I’m an ecademy member (except when I’m working on a tight deadline and am too easily distracted by spending ‘just 5 more minutes’ browsing the site!). Ecademy bridges the gap between purely social networks and those that are entirely focused on business, including the best elements of both.

I’ve met some great people, and some of their stories will be appearing in a book I’m currently writing. More of that anon, so stay tuned!

Have a great weekend

Nic

I’m not certain that the distinction between ‘connections’ and ‘being connected’ is fully appreciated. To me, connections is numbers, the number of people in your network. Many people brag about the size of their networks in LinkedIn or ecademy, for example, but connections are only the start.

It’s the number of people with whom you are connected that really determines the usefulness of your network. And being being connected requires commitment and being proactive – it’s about communicating and building relationships.

Connectedness  is, at one level, similar to some of the principles of Zen: being non-judgemental, being of service to others, keeping one’s own negative thoughts under control, rejecting any need to be ‘right’, recognising and valuing diversity of opinion and culture, being truthful, transparency and building trust.

I am really looking forward to seeing how these philosophies are applied in practical ways as people’s approach to networking and their thinking evolves.