Cloverdew Creative

I long ago made a profile on LinkedIn, but only recently started to keep up my information current, read the digest emails of the groups I belong to there, and reach out to others. I understand that now, perhaps more than ever, it is important to include professional and academic recommendations when applying for a job that will further one’s career or in applying to any kind of higher education program.

The more I start to think about my professional goals and lifelong dreams, the more I want to keep in touch with those I found inspiring, challenging, and encouraging. I have started to expand my network on LinkedIn and have added some professional and academic contacts on Twitter, as well. Both are great for keeping in touch, but there’s something else that’s nagging at me.

I would love to ask for recommendations from my current and previous employers. However, I’m worried that my current employers will think that I’m actively seeking other employment (I’m not). Have you asked for or written recommendations on LinkedIn? How do you explain that you’d like to have these recommendations for future reference and not because you’re thinking of leaving your current job?  What’s the proper etiquette when asking for a digital recommendation (open, for multiple purposes) versus a handwritten (or typed) recommendation letter (specific to one purpose or goal).

You say you want a revolution, well, you know, we all want to change the world. You tell me that it’s evolution, well, you know, we all want to change the world. But when you talk about destruction, don’t you know, you can count me out. ~ The Beatles, Revolution

This year, not long after I started this blog, I joined 12for12k, a revolutionary group that uses social media to network and bring awareness to issues and raise money for charity. Started by Danny Brown, 12for12k makes donations to a different charity each month (this month’s cause is Doctors without Borders) and attempts to raise $12,000 in one month for that charity. In order to benefit from this initiative, the charity must be held accountable (a 501-c (3) organization, be able to provide financial records on request, use no more than 10% of the monies donated on administrative costs, and be accessible through a PayPal or credit card payment system).

Today is a very special day in the world of social media and non-profits, since Danny and others from 12for12k have organized Go Global 24, a 24-hour event including conversations via video, blog, and Twitter (#gg24) on health and fitness, business, arts and entertainment, social change, personal development, and travel. Instead of asking for donations from individuals to fund this event, however, everything is sponsored by companies (both large and small).

While the idea of charity work is neither new nor revolutionary, the commitment the members have to 12for12k and the outpouring of support for multiple causes is. Danny Brown has managed to bring together people on Twitter, on Facebook, and in the blogging community to support multiple causes throughout this year. Some of the charities that have already benefited: War Child, Stop the Silence, Share Our Strength, Hospice of Peel, Yehu Microfinance,  Unicef, and Eye Care for Kids. There is an active community of professionals from all walks of life from all over the world who come together to continually support these causes.  What’s truly amazing is that those involved have developed a cohesive online community and support each other in professional endeavors, as well as in their charity work.

Using Facebook, blogs, and Twitter, 12for12k has raised $361 so far for Doctors without Borders, funding Doctors without Borders. Let’s save some lives today. Every dollar counts. As Dr. Derek Shepherd from Grey’s Anatomy would say, “It’s a beautiful day to save lives.”

Two very intelligent, very inspirational blonde women you should definitely be following on Twitter:

• Lisa Hoffmann (@lisahoffmann): is also known as New Media Lisa. Her blog frolics through the land of new media, including posts such as The Best Blog I’ve Never Read, which asks readers to recommend ‘undiscovered’ bloggers who contribute great content to the greater community; Twitter Is The Chuck Norris Of Ice Breakers, which starts a conversation about networking and making new ‘real life’ friends through Twitter; and Finding Inspiration on Twitter when in need of a mood-booster. This smart blonde keeps the good content coming on her blog and on Twitter alike. If you are in need of a mood-booster yourself, just take a look at Lisa’s picture on her Twitter page – that smile is completely infectious in the best way. Oh, and did I mention her plan for World Domination with Pamela Martin (see last week’s #followfriday recommendations)… all while shopping for shoes…  Now, that’s a smart blonde!
• Pam Stennett (@mistycliff): Pamela Stennett is one of my oldest and best friends, but that’s not why I’m recommending you follow her. This chick is all about conquering the world in small, but extremely important ways every single day. She’s a physical trainer, new mom (to Kai – just over a year old), entrepreneur, pitt bull rescuer, avid reader, and natural birth advocate. She’s been a vegan for going on ten years now and managed to keep her diet set even while pregnant (!!!), all the while staying in perfect shape and helping support her family with her husband and two dogs. She now has a very successful fledgling blog called I Write In Books, where she chronicles her many reading adventures, including literature, philosophy, and a feature called Kai’s Corner, where she reviews children’s books. If you’re an avid reader or are interested in natural birthing, she’s a must-follow. Plus, she’s one heck of a smart blonde!

In 2004, rather than coming back to Washington, DC for my first semester of my junior year in college, I took off from Boston’s Logan Airport headed for Amman, Jordan, where I would spend my fall semester. It wasn’t an easy choice to leave behind the center of our political universe (and my academic and social life) for a Middle Eastern country I had never been to before and a place where I didn’t speak the language (but that’s a story for another day).

I arrived in Amman in the middle of the night, anxious and excited, ready to start learning right away. Once I was picked up by our program director, my first question was “What’s the most important word I need to know?” Surprisingly, the response was not the Arabic equivalent for a greeting, nor for ‘please’ or ‘thank you’. What my director said was “Wasta”.

Loosely translated, wasta means influence, connections, pull, or power through people. In the Middle East, as well as around the world, who you know gives you as much, if not more, power than money. After all, even if you lose your money, you still have connections. The more personal and professional connections you have, the more clout you gain. The same is true for wasta. Wasta, however, refers both to the amount of power and pull you have, as well as the connections with those people. Wasta is your network and, in Arabic culture, the more wasta you have, the better off you are.

I would say the same is true for our culture. It is especially true in this crazy city of Washington, DC. If I were to do a poll of my friends, nine out of ten would tell you that they were introduced to their job, apartment, or significant other by a personal (or professional) connection. While some may complain that this ‘system’ of connections is unfair, it really is all about who you know. But more importantly, it’s about how you treat them.

With social media networking becoming the next big thing and people making connections online in a more social, rather than strictly professional, arena, it is increasingly important to build full relationships with people. Networking isn’t just about the work you do or the money you pay; networking is also about the way you interact with people. The more reciprocal the relationship, the better off you (and your connections) are.

Tips on how to improve your Wasta:

• Shake hands (with a good, firm handshake). I know this sounds corny, but it shows you are professional and friendly.
• Smile genuinely as often as possible. A positive attitude can do wonders if you let it!
• Always send a hand-written thank-you card when appropriate.
• Return phone calls and emails in a timely manner. This demonstrates that you are attentive, concerned, and timely.
• Use niceties, such as ‘please,’ ‘thank you,’ and ‘you’re welcome’. Even the littlest things can make a huge difference.
• Join Twitter, follow people in your field or whose Tweets (or updates) you find interesting. Listen, respond, engage.
• Be careful not to engage in sarcasm or snark around people who don’t know you well. This prevents people from mistaking your dry sense of humor for rudeness. (Be especially careful not to use sarcasm or snark online, since tone is not as obvious without your voice or body language.)
• If you read blogs often, comment with a link back to your own blog to encourage interactions.
• Give before you take. Don’t ask for something unless you are able to give something in return.

So, why is wasta important? Not only can it bring about fulfilling personal relationships, but you never know how personal networking will come into play when thinking about other aspects of your life. Think of every connection and contact as a potential ally, business partner, or friend.

In learning much about social media networking and rapidly growing a fabulous community of friends, colleagues, acquaintences, resources, and other connections via Twitter, I have come across many a marketing strategy. In addition, people often reference the ways they find others to follow using this rapidly growing networking tool.  There are some who follow based on wefollow.com, others who use MrTweet, but I have found the most effective and rewarding way to follow new friends who are engaging, helpful, and great resources: Word of Mouth Tweet.

The best connections I have made on Twitter have come from adding people whose @names I see on friends’ Tweets. If I see someone’s name frequently, it means that they are engaging with others that I frequently interact with. If someone often recommends links or RT (retweets) someone’s links, perhaps that means I should follow him/her, as well. I have all but completely given up on the #followfriday hashtag because there are so many people who Tweet their follows without any rhyme or reason. However, if a connection of mine Tweets that someone should be followed, I will often check out the person’s profile.

That being said, I have a very short and simple process which I follow on deciding whom to add to my follow list on Twitter:

1. Is this someone I know personally? If not, is a friend or acquaintance of someone I know?
2. Is this person someone who works in a field that interests me and/or my followers?
3. Does this person post interesting original content in form of Tweets or links?
4. Does this person RT interesting content or links?

If I’ve aswered yes to one or more of the questions, I will follow that person. If, for some reason, I feel that their Tweets no longer benefit me in any way, I simply unfollow. No harm done. However, though I have unfollowed many from the MrTweet and wefollow recommendations, I have rarely unfollowed anyone I found through the Word of Tweet method.

What are your thoughts? What methods do you use to decide who to follow? Has that worked out for you?