Tuesday, January 22, 2008

LinkedIn and Attrition: Part 2

Back in November, I wrote about how to use LinkedIn to predict future attrition. Recently, a woman I know told me that she connected with an old friend, who proceed to connect with over a dozen other new people a day. Out of curiosity, she did a bit of research into her friend's company and found that it had just gone through a large management reorganization. Obviously, her friend had started a job search.

LinkedIn is growing in popularity, and I am more pleased than ever with the tool. Now they post a daily network activity report on your home page that shows you changes in each of your direct connection's profile, including how many people each has connected to.

You can use this information to notice people who might be on the job market. Perhaps this could be the source of your company's next hire. Oh, and don't forget that your direct connections can see your linking activity, too.

Sunday, January 06, 2008

Having the Right Tools for the Job or Getting Them

I just had to do a small plumbing job at home. As I've done home repairs over the years, I have made uncountable trips to Home Depot to get the right tool to complete the job. It was such a pleasure this time to find that I had everything I needed to do this job already in my toolbox. That was a good feeling.

One feeling that is just as good is getting a new tool and learning how to use it. I don't buy as many tools these days, but it is a new thrill each time I do.

I like to approach leadership with the same attitude. When I come across situations I've encountered before, it is nice to know that I have the tools to deal with them. And, when something new and unexpected comes up, I can enjoy learning the new tools. Instead of fearing the unknown, we can relish the opportunity to learn something new.