Comments on: Reversing cause-and-effect http://www.chicagobeta.com/reversing-cause-and-effect/ A conversation about Chicago web 2.0 start-ups Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:08:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.3 By: Jeff Judge http://www.chicagobeta.com/reversing-cause-and-effect/#comment-171 Jeff Judge Sun, 29 Jul 2007 22:04:03 +0000 http://www.chicagobeta.com/reversing-cause-and-effect/#comment-171 Great post Keith, I totally agree. Great post Keith, I totally agree.

]]> By: Jason Jacobsohn http://www.chicagobeta.com/reversing-cause-and-effect/#comment-172 Jason Jacobsohn Mon, 30 Jul 2007 02:25:56 +0000 http://www.chicagobeta.com/reversing-cause-and-effect/#comment-172 Great example of how someone doesn't understand the value of building mutually beneficial relationships. Before you can expect someone to help you, you have to build trust. Also, you should be offering to help people before you ask for help. Relationships should be built for the long run. Once a relationship is built, then it is okay to ask for a referral. Asking someone for a referral a month later is ridiculous if you don't know the person very well. This person should have gottne to know you as soon as she met you the first time. Great example of how someone doesn’t understand the value of building mutually beneficial relationships. Before you can expect someone to help you, you have to build trust. Also, you should be offering to help people before you ask for help. Relationships should be built for the long run. Once a relationship is built, then it is okay to ask for a referral. Asking someone for a referral a month later is ridiculous if you don’t know the person very well. This person should have gottne to know you as soon as she met you the first time.

]]> By: Andy M http://www.chicagobeta.com/reversing-cause-and-effect/#comment-174 Andy M Mon, 30 Jul 2007 23:53:19 +0000 http://www.chicagobeta.com/reversing-cause-and-effect/#comment-174 Whenever someone asks me to give them a referral, I ask myself one question. Would I want to work in the same group with this person? If it is a yes, of course I give my referral. Otherwise, there had better be some other good reason to pass on the referral (e.g., bribes, etc :P hehe). After all, my reputation is on the line when I give a referral. Important also is the content of the referral. If I have reason to believe a person *may* be worthy of referral, but I am not 100% certain, I always qualify the referral with the specific things I know about the person which warrants attention. Experience, skill set, aptitude, attitude... these all come into play. Whenever someone asks me to give them a referral, I ask myself one question. Would I want to work in the same group with this person? If it is a yes, of course I give my referral. Otherwise, there had better be some other good reason to pass on the referral (e.g., bribes, etc :P hehe). After all, my reputation is on the line when I give a referral.

Important also is the content of the referral. If I have reason to believe a person *may* be worthy of referral, but I am not 100% certain, I always qualify the referral with the specific things I know about the person which warrants attention. Experience, skill set, aptitude, attitude… these all come into play.

]]> By: Tim Courtney http://www.chicagobeta.com/reversing-cause-and-effect/#comment-180 Tim Courtney Thu, 02 Aug 2007 03:14:04 +0000 http://www.chicagobeta.com/reversing-cause-and-effect/#comment-180 I learned this lesson earlier this year when I asked a contact for job leads on behalf of a trusted friend. My contact very wisely asked me qualifying questions about my friend to determine if he was someone worth her putting her reputation on the line for. That was a great example to me as a younger professional, and I've learned to handle those type of requests that come my way in that manner. Great post and topic, Keith. Thanks for prompting me to think more on this. I learned this lesson earlier this year when I asked a contact for job leads on behalf of a trusted friend. My contact very wisely asked me qualifying questions about my friend to determine if he was someone worth her putting her reputation on the line for. That was a great example to me as a younger professional, and I’ve learned to handle those type of requests that come my way in that manner.

Great post and topic, Keith. Thanks for prompting me to think more on this.

]]> By: Klaus Georg http://www.chicagobeta.com/reversing-cause-and-effect/#comment-533 Klaus Georg Sat, 29 Sep 2007 14:21:43 +0000 http://www.chicagobeta.com/reversing-cause-and-effect/#comment-533 Keith, you hit the nail on the head. A referral request is asking someone to invest relationship capital on your behalf. If you are right, it's a win-win-win, because the two interested parties are connected and you rise in their esteem as the connector, and the investment pays off. But it has to be built upon real knowledge of the person. Making it easier to connect to people also cheapens those connections if you aren't careful. Keith, you hit the nail on the head. A referral request is asking someone to invest relationship capital on your behalf. If you are right, it’s a win-win-win, because the two interested parties are connected and you rise in their esteem as the connector, and the investment pays off. But it has to be built upon real knowledge of the person. Making it easier to connect to people also cheapens those connections if you aren’t careful.

]]> By: Bobby The Programmer http://www.chicagobeta.com/reversing-cause-and-effect/#comment-541 Bobby The Programmer Wed, 03 Oct 2007 23:24:06 +0000 http://www.chicagobeta.com/reversing-cause-and-effect/#comment-541 This reminds me of networking events put on for unemployed people. Nothing more depressing than an after-lunch crowd of 150 out of work people handing each other business cards. This reminds me of networking events put on for unemployed people. Nothing more depressing than an after-lunch crowd of 150 out of work people handing each other business cards.

]]> By: Two quotes http://www.chicagobeta.com/reversing-cause-and-effect/#comment-542 Two quotes Fri, 05 Oct 2007 02:26:39 +0000 http://www.chicagobeta.com/reversing-cause-and-effect/#comment-542 [...] You have to pursue greatness not success. Achieve greatness and success will follow. – Keith Schacht  link: Oct 04, 2007 9:26 pm posted in: [...] […] You have to pursue greatness not success. Achieve greatness and success will follow. – Keith Schacht  link: Oct 04, 2007 9:26 pm posted in: […]

]]> By: the capacity : Contextually Redefining ‘Friend’ http://www.chicagobeta.com/reversing-cause-and-effect/#comment-558 the capacity : Contextually Redefining ‘Friend’ Sat, 13 Oct 2007 03:32:27 +0000 http://www.chicagobeta.com/reversing-cause-and-effect/#comment-558 [...] was reminded of this when reading Reversing Cause and Effect by Keith Schacht. Keith explains that many people expect to become ‘friends’ and then [...] […] was reminded of this when reading Reversing Cause and Effect by Keith Schacht. Keith explains that many people expect to become ‘friends’ and then […]

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