WHAT HIT RATE CAN YOU EXPECT?
Higher Education. For academicians, the hit rate is usually low because so many know nothing about LinkedIn. It is a well-kept professional secret. At college and university workshops, I regularly ask how many faculty are familiar with LinkedIn. The response is frequently 25–50%, which is probably inflated due to social desirability pressure. When I invite most of those persons to join my network, 75–90% are LinkedIn newbies with me as their first connection. (EVIDENCE NOTE: At present, I have more than 200 connections with Moi as their only connection.) Overall, a batting average of 30–50% (response rate) is reasonable.
Business and Industry. With business contacts, expect a higher hit rate of 40–70%. The business world is much more familiar with LinkedIn.
FINALE. This concludes my series on LinkedIn. I hope it has been helpful. Please let me know your thoughts on what worked, what I omitted, and what suggestions you have to improve my blogs. Have an incredible 2011!
COPYRIGHT © 2010 Ronald A. Berk, LLC
WHAT’S WRONG WITH WEEDS?
Why are WEEDS such a problem? They are insidious, covert, stealth-like, creeping behaviors, habits, attitudes, activities, and relationships that are difficult to identify. They look like the real thing, but, instead, come along side and slowly suck the breath out of the real thing and destroy it. They can pop up everywhere you turn.
Consider your level of involvement and intensity in your daily tasks, such a teaching classes, writing grant proposals, journal manuscripts, and e-mail responses, and attending a bazillion meetings. It’s really difficult to step back and gain perspective to see the weeds interfering with those tasks. You’re too busy spinning your professorial wheels and expending great effort and energy to complete the tasks at hand to even notice:
“What’s wrong with this picture?” “Why isn’t this working?” “Why can I make any headway?” “Why do I feel so discouraged?”
WHAT ARE THE WEEDS IN YOUR LIFE?
What are the elements in your professional life that are negatively affecting your productivity? There are at least 5 categories of weeds that can kill your productive spirit: (1) mind, (2) heart, (3) relationships, (4) time, and (5) environment. This blog will start with your mind.
1. WEEDS IN YOUR MIND: Although most of you are not Wide World of Sports professional athletes, do you ever experience the “Agony of Defeat”? Does the constant barrage of disappointments, rejection, and failures get to you? How do you respond to these sources of discouragement? What are your “HIT RATES” with the following?
• grant proposals
• journal submissions
• conference proposals
• book prospectuses
• teaching load
• committee work
• student evaluations
• peer evaluations
• department chair evaluations
• reviews for promotion and tenure
Do any of these or a combination bring you to your knees and discourage you from pursuing your goals? Are you on the verge or have you reached your Quitting Quotient (QQ)?
These feelings are weeds growing in your mind that can prevent you from achieving your goals. They yield negative self-talk and counter-productive attitudes that can arrest your development and progress. Every hit seems to get bigger and bigger.
Do you have any of the preceding weeds? Jot them down so you can plan an attack. My next blogs will examine the weeds in your heart, relationships, time, and environment. Weeds just keep growing in us and around us everywhere.
COPYRIGHT © 2010 Ronald A. Berk, LLC
