High-Strength API Connections for Leaders
Are you unwittingly missing opportunities to build stronger and more meaningful connections with others, especially right now when your professional relationships are as important as ever?
In today’s episode of The Energy Detox, we address the single most important LinkedIn tip to consider when requesting a new connection, and we use that piece of advice to drive a deeper discussion on the importance of continued personal engagement by leaders, both in good times and in bad.
And with apologies to the American Petroleum Institute, we also introduce a different kind of “API Standard” and encourage you to regularly make A Personal Invitation—A.P.I.—to connect not only to people you don’t know on LinkedIn (or on eHarmony), but also to those with whom you already have a professional relationship.
SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS:
Episode Resources:
LinkedIn Tip: Always make use of the 300 characters LinkedIn gives you to personalize your connection request. If you’re looking for some inspiration, you can find many examples and free templates online, including from this website.
LinkedIn Instructions: Click here for official instructions on how to include your pickup line/personal invitation
LinkedIn Warnings: If you are using a computer to access LinkedIn, the only way to add a personalized note with your connection is by choosing Connect from the person’s profile page. If you click “Connect” from anywhere else (including when LinkedIn offers suggested connections), you will not have a chance to add a note.
If you are using the LinkedIn App, you must navigate to the “Personalize Invite” option from the person’s profile page and should not simply click “Connect.”
API Casing Connections: Click here for some technical details about API connections for casing.
API Gravity Information: Click here to learn more about how all barrels of oil—just like all professional connections—are not created equal.
TRANSCRIPT:
00:00
Hello and welcome to The Energy Detox, brought to you by Witting Partners. I'm your host, Joe Sinnott, and today we're going to discuss connections...how to form stronger connections to those you already know and how best to form new connections to those with whom you have no existing relationship, especially for those of us establishing relationships via the Internet during this period of "remote everything."
00:38
And before we jump into the meat of today's conversation, if you started listening to this episode simply looking for a quick LinkedIn tip, I wouldn't want you to have to listen to me for the next 30 minutes, so I'll go ahead and get that one piece of advice out of the way right now.
00:53
And that is to take advantage of the 300 characters LinkedIn gives you to add a brief note when you send a connection request. This is obviously not some unique epiphany of mine, as it has shown up for years at the top of many many lists and articles offering LinkedIn advice. Yet it still appears that only a tiny fraction of people actually make use of this.
01:16
So hopefully you are one of the people already doing this, but for those of you who don't make use of it, why not? Why are you content having your connection request look like the vast majority of ones I receive that have the default "Hi, Joe, I'd like to join your LinkedIn network" as the sole and underwhelming indication of that person's interest in actually connecting with me?
01:40
If it's simply a matter of not knowing how to do it, then we'll go ahead and include a link to instructions in the show notes, as the option can take a few extra clicks that aren't always obvious, depending on where you're at on LinkedIn and whether you're in an app or a web browser. But setting aside technological excuses or those times when you're simply connecting to close co-workers or friends who—at least a few weeks ago—might be in the same room with you most of the time, most people would argue that not taking advantage is a wasted opportunity.
02:12
I mean, if you're single right now and could find a bar in America that's still open despite coronavirus restrictions, you probably wouldn't attempt a pick-up line as bland as the default LinkedIn connection request, right? So why would you do the same with someone who could potentially be a gateway to some future opportunity?
02:29
And just in case you think that the parallel between introducing yourself in a bar and increasing your professional network on LinkedIn is a bit of a stretch, then you just wait until we start winding down this episode and I attempt to convince you that my personal experience with online dating is actually the best evidence I can offer to support everything we'll be laying out in today's episode, which will obviously cover a lot more than a single—albeit important—tip that anyone tossing out LinkedIn advice is likely to offer.
02:58
So with that out of the way, let's go ahead and tackle three questions that might arise about an episode of The Energy Detox that might come across as simply being about forming stronger LinkedIn connections. And that first question is, why does a discussion on improving LinkedIn connections belong on a podcast that is supposedly focused on leadership and that we have promised would not be yet another source of tips and tricks and advice but instead questions for you, and challenges to your mindset, and new ways of thinking about your leadership strategy.
03:34
The second question is whether there's any value to be gained from me trying to force yet another oil and gas analogy into the conversation to make what seems to be a pretty simple and extremely universal point about making better connections, which is applicable to all industries.
03:52
And the third question we'll tackle today is, "Why do I care so much about this topic to the point that I'm willing to dedicate an entire podcast episode to it when—somewhat ironically—the simple concept of adding a connection request could actually be described and fit within 300 character box that I just implored you to make use of?"
04:13
So, jumping into Question 1: What does any of this have to do with being an effective leader, especially leaders who are formally leading a team of employees within a company?
04:26
How does building connections on LinkedIn matter if you're in a leadership role? Well, I'd argue that there are at least two ways it helps if you're a leader. The first is that a stronger network helps increase your access—both directly and indirectly—to ideas and experts and other opinions that could bring new insights and help you and your teams think a little differently and ultimately bring more innovation and more value to your organization.
04:55
And the second reason—which is perhaps less obvious—is that being armed with and sharing practical strategies and tips and advice for forming a stronger external network can help your team (and, again, here we're talking especially about the people who report up to you)...it can help them increase their odds of successfully leaving you and leaving your company behind and finding a new opportunity somewhere else.
05:28
So, to repeat that, I am taking today's conversation about building better LinkedIn connections as an opportunity—or more appropriately, as an excuse—to suggest that you as a leader should be actively working on ways to improve the chances that people who work for you can find a new job if they need to or if they want to. And that last part is important: if they need to...or want to.
05:54
Because anyone scrolling through LinkedIn over the last two or so weeks has probably been bombarded with opinion after opinion on how companies should do the right thing and help employees however they can, which right now could be helping them understand how to fill out unemployment paperwork. And obviously a company spending a few dollars on severed employees to offer career support, resume writing services, or whatever else can help them move on makes sense. And it's the right thing to do. And many companies are trying to do those things and make those investments to assist those that they have to let go or will be letting go in the near future.
06:31
But what about when we're not in the middle of a pandemic? What about when we're not talking about mass layoffs or reductions-in-force or some other unique situation like we have right now? What about when things are actually going well, when people seem content in their jobs, when the assumption is that people probably aren't inclined to go anywhere any time soon? Would a manager or an organization as a whole consider offering resume tips and career services proactively? Probably not!
07:01
But what if they did? Or what if they did something like that. And what if the common mindset when dealing with a valuable and hard-working employee shifted from "Oh boy, I'd hate to lose this person "or "Let's do everything in our power to keep them around" to let's make sure this person has the experience and confidence to walk out the door and get a job with another company whenever he or she wanted or needed to.
07:30
Is that a viable approach? Helping employees get to the point where if they wanted to leave at any time, they could,and giving them opportunities to boost their value to other potential employers? The default answer is probably, "No, we want good people to stay with us. We've already invested time and money and energy in these people, and we'd obviously not wanting them to leave."
07:51
So now that things are crazy, however, there's undoubtedly managers and business leaders out there helping employees, left and right, update resumes, pull together key experiences, coach them through next steps in their careers, and even help them prepare for interviews. Why? Because, as we said before, it's the right thing to do as a person and as a colleague...and if you're a direct manager, as someone who has directly benefited from this person's hard-working contributions over the years. In those cases, it's the least you could do in this situation. So why isn't it appropriate at other times?
08:29
Why isn't it more common to help your employees at all times think through their ideal career path and help them become more confident that they could go and find a job elsewhere if needed to or if they wanted to? Because as a true leader, you should want employees who feel confident that they could walk out the door tomorrow and be okay and get another job...but who choose to stay with your team and your organization because they want to stay. That should be the ideal.
09:00
And so I challenge you as a leader to ask yourself, "What are all the ways to boost the trust and the openness of your team members and make sure they're not working scared of the 'what-ifs' and looking over their shoulder, worried about their future, or who feel overly trapped in their current position. And helping increase a person's value doesn't mean you need to invest tens of thousands of dollars on a degree or tons of training that looks good on a resume. It could be a simple as having regular career development meetings, not just annual or semi-annual performance reviews; not just where a discussion of career progression is limited to progression within the current organization, but real, genuine conversations that help employees think better about what they truly wish to do and be.
09:47
And this does not mean simply offering tips or advice or suggestions, but challenging them and asking questions that are deeper than just the standard "where do you want to be in five years?"
10:00
Another cost free item can be to work with HR to update formal job titles to align with the outside world...and, yes, in larger organizations one often needs standard job titles across the board, and you can't just have people making things up. And, yes, HR departments are constantly benchmarking and reviewing titles and roles. But when the flexibility exists to make a one-off update of someone's title to make it more meaningful outside of your company, why not? Because you don't want them to leave? Because if you give them a title that reflects the work they do, they might expect to get paid what people in other companies or industries get paid who are doing the same work but you have a more appropriate title? And those are just a few examples.
10:45
But the larger point being made here is not that managers and leaders under normal circumstances should be out there helping people literally write their resumes and prepare for interviews (although I would argue during these current times we're in going to that extreme and literally helping them update their resume and prepare for interviews is completely appropriate). But the point is that months or years from now, when things are more stable and normal, ask yourself how helping prepare people for life outside of your team or your organization could increase your effectiveness and engagement as a leader...and ask yourself how that type of approach—as counter-intuitive as it might seem—could actually strengthen the sustainability and the productivity of your team, and ask yourself what other genuine steps you can take as a leader to authentically build stronger and more personal connections with your teams.
11:45
Which brings us to the second big question for this episode: How does all of this tie specifically into the world of oil and natural gas? And what forced analogies are we going to use to drive home today's takeaways?
12:00
Well, to start, we'll talk about two different types of API connections, one of which has an important oilfield role and the other, an important role in the world of technology and data. So, in the world of oil and gas, API connections refer to the threaded connections used to assemble joints of casing, which combine to make up casing strings, which are critical components of wells. And API connections conform to a set of standards governed by the API, which is the American Petroleum Institute, a trade association that has been setting various oilfield standards for about a century.
12:35
And the reason to standardize these connections is because the integrity of casing strings is crucial for a number of operational reasons throughout a well's life cycle. And if those connections are mismatched or they don't meet the standards or they don't meet the pressure and stress requirements needed for a particular application, then the results could be catastrophic. And without getting into the technical details—which you can find linked in the show notes—suffice to say API connections are very important to get right during well development.
13:05
Now there's another API connection from the world of technology that—like casing connections—plays a critical role behind the scenes and below the surface, if you will, of so much of what you do each day, whether you realize it or not. And this API connection is essentially a way to connect computers. It's not governed by the American Petroleum Institute and instead stands for "Application Program Interface," and its significance is that it specifies how programs or databases talk to each other. And while internally there could be customized APIs, there are a number of more universal standards that exists to ensure some consistency, because if something's not right with an API, then processes that are dependent on it functioning properly are going to fail. And so, with some level of API standardization, communication between systems and programs can be smoother and more reliable.
14:00
So, two different API connections, both standardized in some way, and both can have significant consequences if you mess them up somehow. And going back to the piece of advice at the beginning of this podcast, each connection you make, especially on LinkedIn, has an opportunity to follow a set of standards or some regular approach selected by you that can increase the odds of success and reduce the chances of something not going the way you planned or hoped. It doesn't guarantee anything any more than eating right and exercising and wearing sunscreen guarantee you won't get cancer. Those things just improve your odds of success.
14:39
So, when it comes to LinkedIn, we propose that you can also employ an API connection of sorts, where—with this third connection—the A.P.I. stands for "A Personal Invitation." And ask yourself how committing some extra time up front to start your connection off on the right foot while employing this API, this focus on making a personal invitation...how this might immediately increase the quality of your future connections. And the goal, of course, is not just to increase the odds of people accepting your invitation (or at least it shouldn't be in most cases, although a bigger network and a bigger audience for your posts is generally a good thing...depending on what you're posting, of course)...but ask yourself whether the most sustainable approach for you in this particular situation is to focus on quality connections and not just quantity.
15:31
Or better yet, ask yourself how you might increase both the quality and quantity of your connections. And I believe so strongly in the value of this that I'm willing to throw in one more parallel to the oilfield. This one is also related to a standard from the American Petroleum Institute, and that's the concept of "API Gravity," which is a standard that impacts the value of a barrel of oil. And everyone is probably aware right now that oil prices are incredibly low, but what some people might not be aware of is that not all oil is created equal.
16:08
Obviously, its value varies geographically based on supply and demand on the logistics of moving it around. But its physical properties also alter how much you will get paid for it, with two main things driving the difference. One of those is sulfur content, with "sweet crude" having low sulfur content and "sour" having high. And while you can imagine that talking about "sweet" approaches to networking versus "sour" approaches would be a ripe analogy for today's conversation, we're actually going to set aside that for a second and focus on the other physical property of oil that can alter its value.
16:41
And that is its density, which is measured in terms of API gravity, where the higher the API gravity, the lighter it is...and the lower the API gravity, the heavier it is. So when you hear about "heavy crude" and "light crude," it's the density that drives it. And this matters because different refineries are set up to process different types of oil and produce different types of products...and based on a number of economic factors and supply and demand, the profit margins from processing each barrel can, of course, vary.
17:10
And with demand and with prices as low as they are, even a few cents per barrel difference for different types and different API gravities is significant. And while I won't go any deeper into the market fundamentals around different types of oil, I do ask that you recall earlier where we suggested you consider how a more personalized approach to fostering connections should be considered as a prerequisite of sorts. And now, through this fourth "API," we're asking you to keep in mind that it's not just a "checking-the-box" thing and that the quality of your approach—just like the API gravity of a barrel of oil—can have a significant impact on the value of your connections.
17:54
And if you agree that these examples do show how API standards can play a significant role and how all connections are not created equal, then why not use the resources available and an ounce of time and energy to build stronger and more valuable connections?
18:11
And, as a reminder, we're not here to waste your time on a single LinkedIn tip—important as it may be—but to ask what benefits can be gained by embracing this concept of making A Personal Invitation to connect with others and by making it a more regular part of your routine as a leader. Are you looking for opportunities to provide genuine and personal feedback to those around you, even when it's no more than 300 characters? For every 20 emails where you have a quick and efficient response, do you stop and consider whether a more personal response on occasion to somebody could really boost morale and increase engagement?
18:47
After interacting with somebody, do you take the chance to personally follow up if there was something noteworthy they did or said in a presentation, for example? Or even if they did not say something that they or others might think was noteworthy but resonated with you? Do you take that time to follow up and make their day through what could be a pretty quick, yet personal interaction?
19:10
And keep in mind this isn't some gimmick. This isn't telling you anything that you don't already know about the basics of human interaction, but it's a friendly reminder that in this world where we may spend as much time interacting with people publicly via comments in an online thread or via e-mails with ten people copied, a genuine and personal connection can really help you stand out as a leader...just as a personalized note can help you stand out when you're building your online network on LinkedIn...and just as at an in-person networking event (if you remember when those things still existed), where it's the one-on-one conversations that could be the most powerful—when you're giving someone else your attention and when you're present for them and not for an audience and not just in some transactional way.
19:55
And with social distancing as big of a part of our lives as it is right now, it's more important than ever to take advantage of opportunities to share your thoughts directly with people whenever and however you can, even when it seems like you don't have the time. And even though much of what I'm describing might oversimplify the complexities of how you invest your time, especially if you look at this from our sales and marketing standpoint. But looking at it from a leadership standpoint, and considering how busy and stressed and burned out you might be right now as a leader...if you can at least have these questions in mind and if you can at least keep this API concept front and center, it will be easier to remember that when you as a leader take a few extra moments to personally and genuinely connect with your stakeholders, I guarantee that the impact on those stakeholders will be far greater than the time you invested or sacrifice to make that personal connection.
20:50
And the ways to employ this...the ways to personally invite new and existing colleagues to connect...are obviously varied and will depend on the situation or the circumstances. And I don't believe I need to offer suggestions on the unlimited ways to accomplish this. But I will challenge you to ask yourself—even if you already make the time to connect—how your actions and words can have an even greater impact on those around you.
21:15
So all that being said, there's a good chance you're rolling your eyes as I beat this relatively simple concept to death...and if you are, then that's perfect! Because it brings us to the third and final question I said I'd answer today, which is...
21:29
Why do I care enough about all of this to the point that I dedicated an entire podcast episode to it?
21:37
And the answer is very simple: I believe so strongly in this mindset and this approach because, if not for this approach, I'm not sure my life would look like it does right now. I likely wouldn't have the family and the existence I enjoy today. Were it not for such a focus on making a personalized invitation to connect with people. In fact, if I didn't invest the time to carefully construct my initial communication to a suggested connection on eHarmony over a dozen years ago, I likely would have been cast aside is just some dude with a picture of me wearing coveralls, pretending to be cool, and living 1200 miles away from where that connection lived at the time.
22:25
But somehow the language I used initially was enough to convince her to engage further. Somehow I was able to differentiate myself. Somehow I was able to overcome what could have been seen as a "geographically undesirable" situation (although from my perspective at the time, formed by spending most of my life on floating vessel in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico...obviously, my view on distance and logistical challenges was slightly different from hers). But anyway, thanks to that initial and personalized invitation to connect, she didn't immediately dismiss me. In fact, from there our writings back and forth became more frequent and substantial, and there were actually months where the vast majority of our communication occurred via very long e-mails (and if you know me, you know that I am certainly capable of very long e-mails), thanks in part to my existence, which involved working long and varied hours offshore, and where an email at 3 a.m. was often the best option that existed.
23:26
And when you're not meeting in person—as is the case for most people these days—and when you're not even talking on the phone or via Zoom (which, of course, is something that really wasn't a readily available option at the time), then it's a fantastic opportunity to dig deep, to reveal yourself, to actually use the distance and—in our case—a bit of an anonymity and vulnerability to open up and be challenged and ask good questions of the other person, while being forced to answer deep questions about ourselves that we may not have had to do before.
24:04
And while our situation and our approach may have been somewhat extreme and reminiscent of the days of writing letters back and forth, the reality is that we simply took advantage of circumstances. We took advantage of a long distance relationship to build a strong foundation that neither of us would have ever envisioned. But the truth is that we were able to build a foundation and a deeper connection much sooner because we weren't sitting across the table from each other over coffee or dinner and making the usual small talk.
24:37
And we were blessed that things worked out in this way because we undoubtedly lean on that foundation now to maintain and sustain our relationship amidst the un-ending challenges that life throws at us. Because the reality is that in our current life, sending a brief text message or talking to each other for more than five seconds without being interrupted is a challenge...let alone drafting a multi-page email like we could more easily do years ago.
25:04
And while we obviously try to find times to connect, the reality is that we're very fortunate to have built our relationship and our marriage on something that helps us withstand periods of stress and anxiety. And regardless of where you're at in life, ask yourself what opportunities you might be missing to do the same, be it with co-workers, industry connections, or personal relationships.
25:26
Now, if you think it's a bit extreme to tie LinkedIn and professional relationships to my online dating experience, I'd argue that the parallels are very, very strong...even if the new connections you form and the existing connections you're trying to make stronger don't result in four kids, a mortgage, and a whole bunch of in-laws (although if you think of it, and in-law is really just a 2nd degree connection that can be a valuable part of your extended network).
25:51
But in all seriousness, we're talking about a mindset shift and about continually asking yourself if you're missing out on opportunities to enhance your odds of forming initial relationships and of strengthening relationships you already have. And if you're a salesperson listening or anyone who actively courts customers or clients, you're probably listening to this thinking that much of what we're describing is "Marketing 101" and is obvious and simple stuff and that we're simply drawing a distinction between "high touch marketing," which clearly I'm advocating for, and "low touch marketing," where it's less personal and less direct, like an e-mail blast or an advertisement...versus high touch marketing, which is more personal, more direct, more interactive, like coffee or phone call.
26:36
But I'd argue that it's more than just this choice—often a false choice—between the quality of your connections and the quantity of your connections or between high touch and low touch marketing. It goes back to taking whatever time you can to really think about how what you share with others is going to be received by them. Much like our last episode, where we challenged you to increase your awareness of how your actions and words can influence others, today we're challenging you to think about how your actions and words impact the strength of the connections you have formed or will form and to be on alert for opportunities to keep those connections from breaking.
27:21
And I'd also say that it's not just about the connection itself, but asking what you can bring to the other person. Just as earlier, we talked about finding ways to help others with their career strategy during this current time and at all times. And it's also very important to realize that we're not just suggesting long-winded emails or conversations...or podcasts. Those things aren't necessary to make an impact, and we're really not suggesting that you need to unload all of your thoughts and everything you know and try to impress the other party by spewing every detail that comes to mind (even if you think that might be helpful).
27:59
Because in most situations, the most impactful way you can help someone and potentially impress someone is with a thoughtful and personalized question that really challenges them to think. And we're not talking about a "gotcha" question, but rather something that helps them shift their thinking and that lets them seek out further and deeper answers (that you might be able to help them with)...and that they're going to stew on...and they're going continue to be impressed by that question. And they're going think about you who asked the question (you). And a simple question can fit comfortably within a 300 character limit!
28:38
So ask yourself how fostering a personal connection with others can help them discover something about themselves and increase their odds of success, whether contributing to their teams, whether in personal relationships, or even in boosting their resume and future job prospects. And ask yourself how that mindset can increase the odds that the connections you form can be a strong foundation upon which more sustainable relationships and success for you and your stakeholders can be built. And ask yourself whether you, at times, are too caught up in the world of standards meant for machines and computers and applicant tracking systems and algorithms...and whether you use your limited time and energy as an excuse to not set aside time for the importance of good old-fashioned personalized human interaction.
29:29
And as a final question today, we challenge you to ask yourself, what are all the ways that you may be unwittingly missing out on opportunities to form meaningful and lasting connections with others?
29:48
And as you consider that, please allow me, your host Joe Sinnott, to thank you for joining us...
...with special acknowledgement to all of the leaders out there who are going above and beyond right now to help their current and former employees transition to their new life, whatever that might look like. And to those of you who have listened to me and feel that I am over-valuing and over-emphasizing this personalized communication...and that I wasted an entire podcast episode covering this one single topic...then I invite you to embrace irony, head over to theenergydetox.com, and shoot me a personal note sharing your thoughts on the matter. And, either way, I do appreciate you listening.
And, until next time, I encourage you to take some time to actually forget about enhancing your relationships with others for a moment and give A Personal Invitation to yourself to re-connect, to learn a little bit more about yourself, and to increase the quality of the connection you have with yourself.
Thanks again.