Home » KnowWare Articles » The Strength of Weak Ties

The Strength of Weak Ties

Networking theory suggests that your network is only as strong as
its weakest link.

What?

In other words, it's not the people you know well, it's the people you sort of know who can make all the difference.

For example
A guy bought my Motivation Profile almost a decade ago.

We've stayed in touch once every couple of years via email.

He lives in Atlanta, but he's been consulting here in Denver for the last two years. His client needs some problem solving using Six Sigma, so he asks me in to help out.

Two days of training/consulting on their claims process.

Then he's booked for the first few days, so he asks me to step in for him.
Two more days.

My Atlanta friend can't make the Christmas week meetings either.
Two more days.

They have another big project in Denver this summer - maybe two months!

He also knows a consultant who does the softer side of change management.
He refers me to his consulting friend to do the process/technology part.

One of the women on the Denver team has friend working on billing issues in California. She refers me to her friend.

Moral of my story
Make a little time for the "weak links" in your network.
You never know when they might pay off.

Feel free to forward this ezine to anyone you know who might enjoy it.

Downloadable Resources on our website

Check out these new booklets to help utilize the concepts and techniques discussed in Motivate Everyone.

• Master Motivation in the Workplace
• Motivate Your Team
• Motivate Prospects to Buy
• Hiring the Right Employee for the Right Job

Want to discover what motivates you? Order Motivate Everyone! Compare your results with your spouse, kids, or coworkers to determine where you are most likely in alignment and where you conflict.

Want to review the chapters of Motivate Everyone that relate to this month's ezine - download and read any chapter.

Rights to reprint this article in company periodicals is freely given with the inclusion of the following tag line: "© 2008-2024 Jay Arthur, the KnowWare® Man, 888-468-1537, ."