Coffee with LinkedIn
It is amazing to see the evolution of LinkedIn over the past few years. What started as a professional networking tool to scout for connections, including prospective employees, employers, industry experts and business partners, enabled by its great matching algorithm, there is no doubt that the platform has widely broadened its horizon. As I reminisce, my early knowledge sessions started in LinkedIn with the Answers section previously available to obtain different solutions to queries raised by people on diverse subjects like management, technology, product management, organisation process, human resources, legal, finance, etc.
A few weeks back, LinkedIn announced the names of Top Voices on the site this year, professionals who distinguished themselves by publishing compelling content. I was astonished to note that there are nearly three million unique writers on the platform and every week, more than 160,000 articles are being published on the platform. Wow, these are huge numbers. Top Voices 2016 also unveiled some interesting insights such as the top content topics for 2016. India was the most discussed about, followed by management, branding, advertising and marketing.
Discovering Talent
The ocean of talent unravelled on this platform is a real eye-opener. These storytellers are from different industries such as business, advertising and marketing, media, financial services, technology, software and others. It is gratifying indeed to find professionals of varied backgrounds who have emerged as terrific thinkers and writers contributing with great content on LinkedIn. Interesting and thought-provoking content from folks, newbies who do not belong to the field of journalism or any sort of writing background. Just people with passion to contribute to something they believe in. A great forum for finding voice through creativity.
Sparking Creativity
LinkedIn is proving to be a unique professional platform for igniting minds. There are people who are passionate about different areas, be it entrepreneurship, startups, big ideas, technology, marketing or advertising , and take the plunge to share their ideas and encourage continuous engagement , countless conversations and brainstorming sessions . These are professionals from across the globe analysing data, sharing insights, providing unique value proposition or just simply talking about facts, from challenges faced by entrepreneurs to discussing about latest technology innovations, offering their perspectives, sometimes with contrarian viewpoints, quite often enkindling stimulating discussions. Needless to say, it also works to kickstart and continuously feed the reading habits of many as well. A perfect global stage set for enhancing knowledge base for professional growth and fostering a spirit of creativity including innovation. Invigorating content is food for thought to an open mind. The number of entrepreneurs contributing to this cause is quite overwhelming. An eco-system to instil a spirit of entrepreneurship and creative spirit !
It particularly fascinated me as we at sparkBootcamp.in are making continuous and focussed efforts to spark creativity and smart thinking in software programming through innovative methods. As an entrepreneur, was extremely delighted to get to the Top Voices list for 2016.
No doubt that there may be misuse of any platform by irrelevant data. LinkedIn is no exception. With professionals flocking to the network in large numbers, dilution in quality is a constant threat. However, as more and more people get engaged positively and the knowledge talent pool grows, minor outliers will tend to get ignored as aberrations.
Knowledge Rules
A survey of highly successful people including top business leaders and entrepreneurs, reveals that the common habit which unites them is their endless thirst for knowledge. When Warren Buffett was once queried about the mantra for success, he revealed his deep fascination for books devoting about 80 percent of time to reading on daily basis. He is not alone. In fact, most extraordinary people do dwell in knowledge quite a lot.
Creativity and Voice Aggregator
As LinkedIn strives to be a voice aggregator of knowledge and creative ideas, easily accessible , there is immense potential and endless possibilities. A new channel of aggregation opens up.
This is really about the new social world of creativity and business, as users leverage the potential of LinkedIn through collaborative sharing for global growth. A knowledge hub for professionals!