Honoring the Chain of Connections

Honoring the Chain of Connections and Expressing Gratitude:

The most notable influencers have entire platforms behind them that include a value system and code and a methodology that rings true for thousands or even millions. When you practice what you preach, you develop a platform of value.  I believe that to build a powerful new community you have to honor the chain of connections, at least five links deep. When you can purposely weave these people together they learn to recognize their shared value. 

In my community, we only have a few clear-cut rules, but recognizing the value of other relationships is key.  In fact, I make it a transparent and clear-cut “threat” that if you don’t honor the chain while attending the series of my events I run for connectors called the ConnectED/OR Gatherings--and I find out from others a tangible result occurred because of someone at that event--then you are out of the community.  The least you could’ve done was say thank you. And that was all I asked.

 Think about how much you’ve invested in the closest 50-100 people around you.  Some you worked with for years. You sat on Boards together. Attend every conference together.  Watched their kids. Were roommates. Etc.  The investment you made was in time.   You might get paid hourly or measure your salaried position in how you spend your time, but you can’t put a price on strong relationships.  You either have them or you don’t. 

When you introduce a friend or colleague to someone you’ve put such an investment into, you don’t expect that intro to be transactional.  In fact, you cringe at it. But you also clearly want to understand the value of that transfer or addition of relationship, and you want to feel valued for providing mutual value to others.

 We focus most clearly on the things that went wrong.  What frustrated or angered us, even the situations where we felt betrayed.  When we think we are doing our best, we often neglect the people around us we needed to get there. That exact moment when we are at our height is both the perfect moment to express gratitude and recognize others, because it is when we need others around us the least--and therefore the expression of thanks is purely that--no agenda or purpose beyond making someone else feel more valued.

 I make 200+ intros a month.  Those that neglect to thank me not only drop from my radar, but unless I know they are helping others I’m close to, I am reticent to keep helping them again.

Those that express gratitude stay top of mind, and are given a free opportunity to have me focus on them within a busy schedule.  All it really takes in this day and age is a bunch of funny emoticons and a note like “that talk with Frank Fredericks was awesome.”  

When you express gratitude and honor the chain, you build community.  When you build community, those around you are now purposefully connected to each other.  You have taken seemingly random connections and woven them together and produced other interactions you couldn’t have predicted.  

And you feel great doing so.

To read about my personal example, go to my website here:

About David Homan:  David Homan is the Vice President of Moonstruck Productions, led by filmmakers Paul and Kristina Dalio. Working at the intersection of feature film/media, he serves as a hybrid Executive, Creative, and Connector to launch the next phase of the company. He’s also a composer whose work has been played around the world, frequently on radio, and often with live modern dance and theater. A natural connector, David volunteers his time to advise start-ups, businesses, nonprofits, and philanthropists and helps them connect with like-minded individuals to make them more efficient and empowering. He believes that one of the best ways to make the world a better place is to help people join together to effect a positive difference and change. As a panelist, speaker, cultural ambassador, and specialist on governance as well as connecting, David has carved an international career based on his ability to meet and help others. He grew up in the small town of Gainesville, Florida, but has made New York City his home for 19 years. David serves as the NYC Ambassador for Nexus, as Board Secretary of the Arthur Miller Foundation, founding Board Member of Ariel Rivka Dance (as well as composer-in-residence), Board member of the First Republic Bank FEA NY Chapter, and as an evaluator for the Unfunded List.