Interview of Paul Melessen

Paul Melessen work as an independent consultant closely together with an international network of skilled consultants. Paul Melessen use on-line tools in many languages to assess culture and team effectiveness. This allows him to do international projects in a short timeframe.

i) What you like about Linkedin?
[Paul Melessen]
It is efficient and easy to use. And it is big. So it outperforms all other communities sheer size. An other thing I like is the no-nonsense business approach.

ii) How does linkedin helped you?
[Paul Melessen]
It really has helped me in finding experts on various subjects across the world. As an entrepreneur I often engage in projects where I need additional expertise.

iii) Has your business increased by using linkedin? Please explain
[Paul Melessen]
I have got a few deals through LinkedIn as well.

iv) How do you select contact to whom you want to connect?
[Paul Melessen]
I first look at expertise, then at geographical area and then at steps away from me.

v) Your thoughts on "Quality vs Quantity" connections?
[Paul Melessen]
As a rule I ignore people with more than 1000 connections, as they hardly can be taken seriously in terms of managing their networks. I try to avoid connections with people who show their e-mail address in their profile name. Some even advertise themselves as regional hub. Rediculous ! A pity I find that it is not possible to delete connections yourself. Some people try to spam by sending large messages under the header ' I updated my profile' .

Paul Melessen
Owner of 4C Corporate Culture Clash & Chemistry (www.fourcee.nl)
Researcher at Tilburg University, Department of Economics