Monday, November 26, 2012

This Christmas, give the gift of a Linkedin recommendation

I'm already pretty burned out on the idea of Christmas Commerce.  So much spending, so much wrapping paper waste... so many scratches from opening those damned blister packs.  Seriously, why does unboxing a $20 toy have to be like breaking into Fort Knox now?!

Anyway, something occurred to me just now.  In the spirit of giving, and the holidays, I'm going to take some time out of my busy schedule and write Linkedin recommendations.  Totally unsolicited, unexpected recommendations.  These are going to be solid and well thought-out pieces for people I genuinely admire.  I'm going to do this because it is far more meaningful than a holiday card or a fruit basket, and it could contribute to the career of someone I regard.

We all have so many social media contacts now, to the point that it's become impersonal.  Taking the time to even drop one of your Facebook friends a personal note catching up on how they are doing is the equivalent of a hand-written letter these days.  It shows that in a sea of connections, you still remember them as a person, too.

What could be a better gift than that?

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