Written by Karen D. Swim
Open Networking can be a lightning rod of divisiveness in the networking community. You have those who fervently line up on the side of truly Open Networking and those who believe in organic, quality growth. The discussions however have grown in complexity as we add more points of connections. There is a dizzying array of social media platforms and points to connect online and off. Some may have a layered networking strategy where they are for example open to all invites and communication on LinkedIn but reserve Facebook for their personal connections.

Rather than debate the validity of an approach, I believe we must adopt common sense principles which guide our online behavior.

Be clear about your own networking strategy. I love LinkedIn profiles that tell me right up front that contacts are added to a mailing list. If you do not want to be part of the list, don't connect. This gives me a choice right up front. Will some choose not to connect? Yes, but you are saving yourself and the other party from being frustrated later.
Ask permission. When connecting with someone initially, have a standard personalized message that states your policy and ask if they mind connecting on other platforms. If you adopt this approach, then you should also be prepared to segregate your networking list accordingly.
Don't assume. A recent discussion between two of my contacts shed light on the need to know the rules and abide by them. My friend Heather Gardner and I both belong to an Open Networker group. In joining we agree to accept LinkedIn invites from members (we have the option to archive but no IDKs allowed). Another member of the group mass emails contacts with marketing messages. Heather wanted to preserve the connection but opt out of the marketing message. Her request was not met with kindness. It is important to realize that when you email marketing messages, you need to operate by the same rules as all marketers - be clear about how the person got on the list, include your complete contact information, and offer an unsubscribe or opt-out option. You really don't have the right to keep emailing someone with marketing messages if they choose not to receive them.
Be respectful. We all have individual networking styles. There is no one size fits all approach. If we treat each other with respect and kindness we can truly enjoy networking success.

In my mind, the goal of all networking is to engage others and create relationships. Granted, some relationships will have greater depth than others. We are not networking to create enemies or pervert our brand with ill will.