Rolodex strikes again

The power of the Rolodex strikes again. The Boston Globe article outlining the commencement speakers for the local graduation ceremonies mentions: Relying on a 25-year-old connection, J. Bonnie Newman, interim president of the University of New Hampshire, zipped off an e-mail to former President George H.W. Bush. She wrote on Nov. 2 that she "felt compelled to go with the best of the best," so she was inviting him and former President Bill Clinton to speak at today's graduation. Two days later, she scored. Her former boss accepted. A month later, she had a double coup: Clinton agreed to share the dais. In nabbing high-profile commencement speakers, sometimes it's all in whom you know. Behind many of the star speakers is a personal tie with a university president, a trustee, or an alumnus. Yesterday, it was the Rolodex. Today, it can be any number of online tools. Bottom line, it is a connection, a relationship that can be leveraged for mutual benefit. How do you connect? Are you a relationship geek?