Effectiveness of connectedness
A few month’s ago, as I was thinking about the power of networking, this phrase kept running through my head:
“A true connector measures their effectiveness not by who they have CONNECTED to THEMSELVES, but by who they have CONNECTED to OTHERS.”
So often, I think we try to measure how effective we’re networking and connecting by how many people we’ve built a kinship with or how many people we’ve added on our various social networks. If that is the only way we’re measuring our effectiveness, I think we’ve missed the mark.
The measure of a true connector isn’t simply how many relationships they’re able to develop. Rather, it’s their ability to take two people in their network and connect them with each other. I firmly believe it’s when we do this that we will truly start to see the success of our networking abilities.
Whenever you make a new connection, ask yourself two questions:
· Whom do I already know that needs to know this person?
· How could this person help someone I already know who needs it or who do I know that could help this person?
Our true effectiveness is not measured by the number of people we’ve connected with but the number of people we’ve connected to each other.
Do you have any examples of how you’ve used this principle to connect two people who would have not have connected if it we’re for you?
I mentored a young lady who was great at PR. I got her connected with the A/G so she became licensed and her ministry was able to connect with different people. Then I begin to connect her with some parachurch organizations and she has connected them with many others in the metroplex to help raise funds and raise awareness levels of how to better serve each other in these missions endeavors.
I believe when we connect people to people we are giving them people who will grow their ministry/business for God’s purposes. I do this alot with our newcomers and new believers in our church family as well.
Thanks for the comment Joy. I love reading stories like this.
I believe this is right on Justin! I never put it to words as eloquently as you did, but have felt this ever since I learned the term ‘social capital’. What a joy it is to connect others together on so many different levels. As followers of Christ, our first priority should be connecting others to God perhaps not always so obviously but through our actions. And secondly, as you spoke of, connecting others together within your social network. An example of this is one of my friends here in Sweden who was originally Sikh and from India. I first met him a year and a half ago and immediately connected him with others that would help him in his journey. Through friendship and connectedness not only with myself but many others, he made the decision to become a Christian just a couple months ago. Just last week, another friend from Sweden visited New York City alone, but I connected him with friends I knew who lived in NYC (but I myself have never visited them there) and they had a great time! Another ongoing project is working with some missionaries who are on furlow traveling around the US meeting individuals who want to go abroad for a year and I know families in Sweden who are looking for au pairs (nannies), so we are making a 4-way connection happen across continents! It truly is a privilege to be a social networker for purposes beyond oneself.
Great example of international connections. I don’t have many of those.
God is the ultimate connector. I’ve met many people who said ‘have you met this person, you just have to meet Him.’The more I got to know, the more connected I became to others and now I am connecting to people whom I can say I know where you can get connected for support with that or to an individual who you should meet. One of my great passions is connecting people to each other, but also to God.
I think there is often something Divine in our connections. Last night the minister shared how a lady asked him to pray for healing for her back. She was facing surgery. After service, as he greeted people on their way out, the lady shook his hand. Another lady was already there, talking with him. He introduced the two and then felt prompted to ask the other lady to pray with the one having back surgery. The other lady started crying and said she had just come through the same surgery. He had no idea, but he just followed an urge to connect others.