#broadli tip

[broadli]

How should I sort my connections?

When you open the Broadli app, you'll see a fun (and slightly addictive) game that allows you to sort your LinkedIn connections into the following four categories:

Inspired: These are the folks in your trusted network, the people you'd gladly do a favor for.

Want to Know: These folks aren't in your inner circle. But since you'd like to know them better, you'll help them if you can.

Don't Know: You don't really know these folks and just don't have the bandwidth to develop a relationship.

Dormant: These may be great people, but they aren't part of your life right now.  

DON'T WORRY -- This sorting game is private. Broadli doesn't send alerts or announcements about it to your contacts.

As we've said before, don't agonize over categorizing, just trust your instincts. And if you should have second thoughts, go to the My Network screen. You'll easily be able to drag folks from one category to another there.

When you're thinking about the categories, be aware that this is just a snapshot of your network and your connections at this time. As your life, priorities and missions change, you'll change your approach to the categories. And that's perfectly fine.

Please let the Broadli team know if you have have any questions or need further assistance with this.

[broadli]

Mission possible!

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to create a mission (or three) on Broadli.

What's a mission?

A mission is a near-term project you're working on. Think of it as something you're doing now (or very soon) for which you need someone with a certain expertise, skill set or experience. How do you find this person? You add your mission to Broadli, explaining the type of person you need an introduction to, and then let your trusted network locate that person and provide the introduction.

Does a mission need to be major?

Not at all! It's wonderful if you're on a mission to end world hunger -- and if there's a way Broadli can help, please let us know -- but for most of us, our missions are a bit smaller in scale:

I'm moving to a new town and would like advice from someone who knows it

I'd like to hire a fluent Russian speaker with call center experience

I'm looking for a running partner

I'm interested in shifting into the design world and would love to do an information interview with someone who has experience in the area

I'm trying to decide between two different graduate programs and would welcome advice from someone who has faced a similar decision

I need a new dentist in Boulder

What happens to my mission?

Once you've entered a mission, it will show up on your My Missions screen and on the My Impact screens of the people in your trusted network. (So if your boss is in your trusted network, she will see that your current mission is to find a better job!) Then those folks increase their Impact by introducing you to the person that could be the answer to your prayers. Once you receive a recommendation, you have a choice about accepting it. If you do accept the recommendation, Broadli will help you connect to the recommended person.

Where to begin?

It all starts with your mission. So add a mission (or three) today and put your network to work.

[broadli]

Best networking advice - from Dave Delaney

In a recent edition of Owner Magazine, Dave Delaney gave his Best Networking Advice:

My best networking advice is to be honest and build your network before you need it. This means you need to tend to the people around you on a daily basis. Find ways to help them first, way before you ever ask for anything in return. Networking is a two-way street.

Not only does genuinely helping people grow your network, it makes you a respected, good person. Just look at the guy who started this magazine for inspiration. Help people first, folks.

But how do you tend to the people in your network if you don't know what they want or need? That's where Broadli comes in. When a person in your trusted network posts a mission on Broadli, you'll know it. And, you'll have an opportunity to help by introducing them to someone else in your network who can provide the requested assistance.

It all starts by going to the My Impact screen on Broadli to see what missions the members of your trusted network have posted. Then take a minute to make an introduction that could change everything for the better.

That's all.

[broadli]

Do you know who you know?

We love LinkedIn. As LinkedIn has made it easier to connect with people, we've all been amassing tons of connections there. The problem is that it's hard enough to keep track of your connections when you have 150 or fewer. If you have 500, 1000 or 5000 connections, how do you know who you know?

This is where Broadli can help. When you first download the app, it will import your LinkedIn connections and then give you a chance to play a sorting game. In that sorting game, you can quickly drag each of your connections into one of four categories:

Inspired

Want to Know

Don't Know

Dormant

As you sort, you'll be reminded of the people you know (or don't know so well). And you'll uncover your trusted network.

The key is to do this sorting quickly. Trust your instincts.

And don't worry. If your finger slips and you accidentally drag someone into the wrong category, you can always move them to the correct place from the "My Network" screen.

As your life changes and your missions change, you may find that people that you once viewed as Dormant or that you didn't know have now become top of mind for you. When that happens, simply go to the My Network screen and shift them to the right category.

Broadli can change to reflect the changes in your life and priorities. And throughout the process, Broadli can make it easier for you to know who you know.