BrokeIn: How to find meaning by tuning OUT the noise and TuningIN to relationships

A couple of weeks ago while reviewing my digital habits, it dawned on me that I'm spending more on LinkedIn than necessary. I'm on here posting, liking, following, sharing re-posting etc. While reflecting on the the ultimate aim of my presence and activity (attract customers and develop partnerships) I realised that I wasn't really pushing forward on either - well not on here anyway.

Then it hit me - to really engage with the platform means to produce and consume lots of LI content. Sharing, liking, following all act as a signal to people that I'm on their wavelength. Being authentic is important but after weeks and months wading through content that really resonates, it gets draining. It doesn't feel authentic. It becomes a cold and calculating thing which, let's be honest is probably the least favourable ground for relationships.

There's something about this space, here on LinkedIn where content becomes the foundation of credibility and ultimately, reward (resonance, revenues, sales, partnerships etc). It feels like we end up performing for the algorithm to notice us or for our friends to share and point people our way. Some of us have tried the paid features to build an audience of people to do business with, ultimately finding that cutting through the noise an impossible task.

Maybe we're missing the point? We all want new relationships with people who have the problems that we can solve. The challenge is we're wading through treacle to try and build these relationships.

Rumi is credited with this wonderful saying

What you seek is seeking you

It feels like these days, our habits see us conflating seeking with consuming. Maybe to seek we must consume? It wasn't always this way, organisations were much more serendipitous and built on a good word put forward. Nowadays one could argue that what we consume is consuming us. (what we share is sharing us etc...)

Maybe the content and advertising based model is out of road in terms of the amount of digital clutter we tolerate*. It's probably why this recent video by the brilliant Michael Spicer on why LinkedIn is Cringe resonates so well.

So here's a question - we're all on here for different reasons - some of looking for work, others looking to network, some seeking business opportunities, some partners and suppliers - how might we make it better?

How might we park the content-itch and make this a relationship rich space?

I'm of the view that the magic of LinkedIn isn't the feed but the network. The challenge is that we can't see what needs and wants people have (other than the open to work / hiring functions) - so here's how I think we this the best network for work:

1) Use the platform sparingly - Unless LinkedIn is your employer, your work isn't on here.

I repeat. THIS IS NOT WORK.

(feel free to favourite this article in case you ever need a reminder )

2) Show, don't tell: If you're trying to sell something or get hired, sign post people to where they can see you/your work at it's best.

3) Join dots - make introductions, do it randomly, or with in intent - but please do it.

4) Write content only for here - don't re-post and share stuff from elsewhere. Best question to guide this is: Would I send this in an IM to my best friend?

and most importantly

5) Try and meet people in person (if possible of course)- At the very least, the platform is where you get their number so you can at least talk to them away from here.

There's this wonderful theory called Dunbar's number in which there's an upper limit to the number of people we can know at any point in time (150). 'Exceed 150, and a network is unlikely to last long or cohere well'.

The most important relationships you have probably happen away from here so question is one about quality and quantity - I'll bet any money that the quality-ones you hold away from here are really behind the success that you seek from the quantity-ones you hold on here.

*The same noise that we experience on here, is experienced in our workplaces- same rules apply (use tech sparingly etc). For more info on that - please reach out to me.