The Kevin Bacon Game is a curious thing to be sure. This is how the game goes:

• Think of an actor or actress
• If they have ever been in a film with Kevin Bacon, then they have a "Bacon Number" of one.
• If they have never been in a film with Kevin Bacon but have been in a film with somebody else who has, then they have a Bacon Number of two, and so on.

The claim is that no one who has been in an American film, ever has a Bacon Number of greater than four. This may seem nothing more than a quirky fact about an already bizarre industry, but in fact it is a particularly clear example of a phenomenon known as the "small-world phenomenon."

The small-world phenomenon formalizes the notion that "you are only ever six 'degrees of separation' away from anybody else on the planet." Almost everyone is familiar with the sensation of running into a complete stranger at a party or in some public arena and, after a short conversation—"Oh, you're from Spokane? Do you know—" discovering that they know somebody unexpected in common. The small-world phenomenon hinges on the claim that even when two people do not have a friend in common, only a short chain of intermediaries separates them.

In 1967, when Kevin Bacon was still running around in PJs and had yet to make his celluloid debut, the renowned Harvard social psychologist Stanley Milgram got curious about the small world phenomenon and created a simple experiment to test it out. He sent roughly 300 letters to randomly selected people in Omaha, Nebraska with the instruction to get the letter to a single "target" person in Boston using only personal contacts.

Milgram gave each "sender" some information about the target including name, location, and occupation, so that if the sender did not know the target (and it was extremely unlikely that they would), they could send the letter to someone they did know who they thought would be "closer" to the target. Thus began a chain of senders, each member of the chain attempting to zero in on the target by sending the letter to someone else: a friend, family member, business associate, or casual acquaintance.

Milgram's surprising finding was that for the 60 chains that eventually reached the target, the average number of steps in a chain was around six, a result that has entered folklore as the phrase "Six degrees of separation."

From a coaching perspective I think Milgram's findings are pretty juicy. For starters, if we're all connected that closely, then maybe we can shed some of the fear we carry into social situations, interviews, elevators, and even romances—fear that stops us from smiling, engaging in conversation, getting curious about the person just a heartbeat away. Fear is the number one culprit holding many of my coaching clients back from taking the next bold step in their lives-fear that they're not smart enough, fear that they'll fail, fear that others will ridicule a wild departure from the norm, fear that the person they need to phone will be rude and unkind. The list of fears we manufacture is a long and creative one. As a coach, I think of Milgram's findings as a wondrous fear buster: all those 'other' people—they're really just like us!

Next time you walk into a party and feel unmoored and anxious, why not make a game out of your discomfort and engage a 'stranger' in a curious exploration of how the two of you are linked? Or take the 'small world' phenomenon into a job interview with the playful thought that the guy on the other side of the desk probably grew up with a girl who your best friend roomed with in college! Let the knowledge of our connectedness as humans take the edge off and enjoy the kinship with a person you are actually linked to in some unknown way.

On a more practical level, if any one of us can get to any other in six or fewer steps, then we have the chance to leverage our contacts much more effectively as we seek to grow businesses, publish books, get booked to sing in a local venue or get our kid into that amazing pre-school with a wait-list a mile long. Make a habit of asking your friends and acquaintances whether they know someone in an area where you are trying to make an inroad. Get creative-they may not have a direct contact but may know someone who does. In a similar vein, take it upon yourself to share your universe with the people you know. Matchmaking need not be relegated to the arena of love! Introduce friends who may share a business interest even if neither has asked for the connection. If you've got a friend with a big goal, ask how you can be of assistance. Cultivate generosity and freely share the people in your world with others. The impact you will have is enormous-and in the great karmic circle, it will come back your way too.

About My Coaching:
As a personal and executive coach, it is my goal to bring dynamic leadership, a compassionate heart and powerful insight to the lives of my coaching clients. I work to help clients identify and pursue what is deeply meaningful in their lives and their businesses, and collaborates with them to transform vague yearnings or explicit goals into realities.

After graduating from Princeton University, I spent almost 20 years as an independent feature film, video and CD ROM producer guiding projects to success. As President of Midwest Film Productions, I honed my skills building productive teams of people, working to intense deadlines, quickly and accurately assessing complex situations and brainstorming and implementing creative solutions. It was during these years that my passion for small businesses emerged.

In my coaching practice I call on my extensive production and business background with the express goal of helping my clients live their lives and create their businesses by design and not default.

I completed my coaches training through the prestigious Coaches Training Institute, completed advanced training and received my certification credential through them as well.

My latest favorite quote: "A goal is a dream with a deadline."

If you are interested in exploring how coaching may be of value to you personally or to your business, I am pleased to offer a ‡ hour complimentary session. Please feel free to give me a call or send me an email.

Contact me:
Dina Silver, CPCC
Pegasus Coaching Group
310-393-8082
dina@pegasuscoachinggroup.com
http://www.pegasuscoachinggroup.com/