An offer letter you cannot refuse.

I recently had the privilege of beginning to watch the first Godfather movie on a flight I was on. Unfortunately, the flight was much shorter than the total length of the movie, and I am going to have to pick it up again where I left off. And yes, in case you are wondering before you read on – this is the first time I have ever watch any of the Godfather movies.

Why do I bring this up in an HR blog?

The movie starts out with an individual coming to the Godfather with a request. The Godfather initially turns him away because this individual is not a “friend”. The individual has not kept in touch, has turned away past interactions, and is only now coming forward when he needs a favour.

Think about your networks, whether online in LinkedIn or otherwise offline? How often do you nurture those connections and keep ongoing “friendships” with your contacts? Sure, there are likely a few people who have contacted you purely out of professional interest, and you have accepted an invitation. But, think about in the past year how many people have come to you through electronic mediums and asked a favour of you – for you to make a referral, for you to help him/her find work, or for you to recommend sales leads or purchase a product. Now, prior to that contact, how many of those same people called just to say hi, invited you out for coffee or sent an email just to check in, in the year prior to that? Probably a bit of a disconnect there!

Point is… As old as the Godfather movie is, I believe the Don was on to something back then. I believe that he valued relationships. He understood that in friendships, you give and you get. The power of your network is only as strong as the relationships you nurture – and, if you expect to call on your networks for any reason in the future, you should build up your social bank account today.

Now, I have yet to finish the movie as well as the overall trilogy to see how it all ends, but I am looking forward to drawing further comparisons.

Btw – I’m free for coffee or lunch, so just give me a call!