I recently read, “The Windmill Networking Approach to Understanding, Leveraging & Maximizing LinkedIn” by Neal Schaffer.
As an HR professional, I personally believe that LinkedIn will continue to evolve and be if not the leading, a major player for the platform which makes professional connections. It will be the place for transparency on individual and company achievements, work history, etc. For instance, no longer do I even consider getting paper-based recommendations or endorsements from my past employers, stakeholders and clients whom I have worked with. Gone are the days where you go digging to find that paper or PDF copy of a recommendation from 5-10 years ago.
That said, I too still come across friends, colleagues and others who find little value in LinkedIn and either a) don’t have an account, or b)created an account and aren’t active on it. Clearly I would imagine there is a vast difference amongst users between baby boomers, Gen X and Gen Y users.
Furthermore, as I coach various individuals seeking to expand or change their career, I often inquire if they are on LinkedIn. There remains to be a lot of individuals who are not understanding, leveraging and maximizing what LinkedIn has to offer. I love the visual and metaphor the author provides of the blades of the LinkedIn Windmills! I agree with the author that there are various advantages to being connected with others.
What about firms whose try and create a similar platform internally with similar capabilities as LinkedIn? I often ask myself why they don’t utilize what is already existing and if concerned about public visibility and privacy, the creation of a closed and monitored group by membership.
Ask yourself, are you plugged into the grid? What would the potential benefits be from you connecting with someone that you share a similar interest in? How might LinkedIn contacts provide you with new connections and dialogue for change? And for those of you job seeking, if you have a particular firm in mind, what might happen if you took the risk, reached out and emailed contacts at a company of interest and introduced yourself and asked for an informational interview?
To access information about this book and read about the author, please visit: 
Author’s site: http://windmillnetworking.com/social-media-consulting-services/
Book on Amazon: http://bit.ly/windbook
