Comments on: What do I do when I don’t want to “be friends” with my boss on Facebook? http://www.philgerbyshak.com/what-do-i-do-when-i-dont-want-to-be-friends-with-my-boss-on-facebook/ Milwaukee Social Media Strategy - Professional Speaker - Coach Wed, 28 Jul 2010 03:35:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Daniel Raeder http://www.philgerbyshak.com/what-do-i-do-when-i-dont-want-to-be-friends-with-my-boss-on-facebook/comment-page-1/#comment-4971 Daniel Raeder Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:22:24 +0000 http://www.philgerbyshak.com/what-do-i-do-when-i-dont-want-to-be-friends-with-my-boss-on-facebook/#comment-4971 I've recently been thinking about this as I work to develop a personal brand and start networking. My facebook account is chock full of personal friends and family, but some business contacts have snuck through. I really don't do anything I would be embarrassed about on facebook, but I also don't want to spam personal friends and family with my business related nonsense. Like Laura's, my solution is to create a second facebook account. I'll be putting it together shortly under my full name, versus my shortened name. Then, I'll add all my business / professional contacts to that one. I think this will work out well for me and allow me to deliver a better, more professional message to the right people.. I’ve recently been thinking about this as I work to develop a personal brand and start networking. My facebook account is chock full of personal friends and family, but some business contacts have snuck through. I really don’t do anything I would be embarrassed about on facebook, but I also don’t want to spam personal friends and family with my business related nonsense.

Like Laura’s, my solution is to create a second facebook account. I’ll be putting it together shortly under my full name, versus my shortened name. Then, I’ll add all my business / professional contacts to that one. I think this will work out well for me and allow me to deliver a better, more professional message to the right people..

]]> By: Phil Gerbyshak http://www.philgerbyshak.com/what-do-i-do-when-i-dont-want-to-be-friends-with-my-boss-on-facebook/comment-page-1/#comment-4962 Phil Gerbyshak Mon, 01 Feb 2010 01:13:58 +0000 http://www.philgerbyshak.com/what-do-i-do-when-i-dont-want-to-be-friends-with-my-boss-on-facebook/#comment-4962 Love your attitude Rich. Need to think about your thoughts a little more and structure a coherent response, and possibly pull this out as an article. Many thanks for stopping by! Love your attitude Rich. Need to think about your thoughts a little more and structure a coherent response, and possibly pull this out as an article.

Many thanks for stopping by!

]]> By: Rich Tatum http://www.philgerbyshak.com/what-do-i-do-when-i-dont-want-to-be-friends-with-my-boss-on-facebook/comment-page-1/#comment-4961 Rich Tatum Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:50:12 +0000 http://www.philgerbyshak.com/what-do-i-do-when-i-dont-want-to-be-friends-with-my-boss-on-facebook/#comment-4961 My view is this: If I'm not on friendly terms with my boss, if I can't trust him or her to hold me in that regard, I'm working for the wrong boss. Plus, if I'm doing things with my Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn profiles that would jeopardize my career, I'm in the wrong profession or I need to clean up my act. My personal policy is to live transparently and to assume that every track and trail I leave online will be evidence that can be used against me in ways I cannot predict -- because it can be and quite possibly will be. So, by assuming that all my online transactions are transparent and will live beyond my control, I try to temper my online interactions and behaviors so that they don't jeopardize me personally or professionally. Because, in the end, there's no difference between my personal life and my professional life. How I behave in *any* online transaction reflects on *me* without regard to arbitrary personal/professional distinctions. So, I'm proactive. I friend my bosses and invite them into my "personal" online sphere of life. After all, it works both ways. I get to see into their online activities as well. And I can just as easily fire them as a boss as they can fire me. If my boss doesn't want a jerk working for them, I certainly don't want to work for a jerk. The more we know, the more empowered we are. The challenge is to work to overcome the innate nature of the shallowness and impersonality of online interactions. As long as I keep in mind that all my online work has offline consequences, it helps me keep my nose clean. And, yes, my online life has prevented me from gaining employment at at least one job, perhaps others (due to my overt religious views revealed in my blog). But I view that as a good thing, because that would have ultimately interfered with my job satisfaction. Regards, Rich <a href="http://tatumweb.com/blog/" rel="nofollow">BlogRodent</a> My view is this: If I’m not on friendly terms with my boss, if I can’t trust him or her to hold me in that regard, I’m working for the wrong boss. Plus, if I’m doing things with my Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn profiles that would jeopardize my career, I’m in the wrong profession or I need to clean up my act.

My personal policy is to live transparently and to assume that every track and trail I leave online will be evidence that can be used against me in ways I cannot predict — because it can be and quite possibly will be. So, by assuming that all my online transactions are transparent and will live beyond my control, I try to temper my online interactions and behaviors so that they don’t jeopardize me personally or professionally. Because, in the end, there’s no difference between my personal life and my professional life. How I behave in *any* online transaction reflects on *me* without regard to arbitrary personal/professional distinctions.

So, I’m proactive. I friend my bosses and invite them into my “personal” online sphere of life. After all, it works both ways. I get to see into their online activities as well.

And I can just as easily fire them as a boss as they can fire me. If my boss doesn’t want a jerk working for them, I certainly don’t want to work for a jerk. The more we know, the more empowered we are.

The challenge is to work to overcome the innate nature of the shallowness and impersonality of online interactions. As long as I keep in mind that all my online work has offline consequences, it helps me keep my nose clean.

And, yes, my online life has prevented me from gaining employment at at least one job, perhaps others (due to my overt religious views revealed in my blog). But I view that as a good thing, because that would have ultimately interfered with my job satisfaction.

Regards,

Rich
BlogRodent

]]> By: Phil Gerbyshak http://www.philgerbyshak.com/what-do-i-do-when-i-dont-want-to-be-friends-with-my-boss-on-facebook/comment-page-1/#comment-4960 Phil Gerbyshak Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:38:32 +0000 http://www.philgerbyshak.com/what-do-i-do-when-i-dont-want-to-be-friends-with-my-boss-on-facebook/#comment-4960 Is this generational? Interesting thought. I'm curious what folks think. Stopping by now.... Is this generational? Interesting thought. I’m curious what folks think. Stopping by now….

]]> By: Phil Gerbyshak http://www.philgerbyshak.com/what-do-i-do-when-i-dont-want-to-be-friends-with-my-boss-on-facebook/comment-page-1/#comment-4959 Phil Gerbyshak Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:38:04 +0000 http://www.philgerbyshak.com/what-do-i-do-when-i-dont-want-to-be-friends-with-my-boss-on-facebook/#comment-4959 Darran - If you're consistent in who you put on the limited profile, I think it can work very well. If you're inconsistent, then you're right...you do feel far less special. Darran – If you’re consistent in who you put on the limited profile, I think it can work very well.

If you’re inconsistent, then you’re right…you do feel far less special.

]]> By: Joan Schramm http://www.philgerbyshak.com/what-do-i-do-when-i-dont-want-to-be-friends-with-my-boss-on-facebook/comment-page-1/#comment-4949 Joan Schramm Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:38:04 +0000 http://www.philgerbyshak.com/what-do-i-do-when-i-dont-want-to-be-friends-with-my-boss-on-facebook/#comment-4949 Good reading, Phil! You make a lot of sense, especially about being consistent in either friending or not friending management and co-workers. I wonder, though, if this isn't a generational issue, and maybe younger workers don't see it the same way as old fogeys like I do? You inspired me to write a blog post about it, citing yours as the jumping off point. http://budurl.com/kf92 Thanks for starting the ball rolling! Good reading, Phil! You make a lot of sense, especially about being consistent in either friending or not friending management and co-workers. I wonder, though, if this isn’t a generational issue, and maybe younger workers don’t see it the same way as old fogeys like I do? You inspired me to write a blog post about it, citing yours as the jumping off point. http://budurl.com/kf92

Thanks for starting the ball rolling!

]]> By: Darran Thayaparan http://www.philgerbyshak.com/what-do-i-do-when-i-dont-want-to-be-friends-with-my-boss-on-facebook/comment-page-1/#comment-4948 Darran Thayaparan Mon, 25 Jan 2010 03:55:56 +0000 http://www.philgerbyshak.com/what-do-i-do-when-i-dont-want-to-be-friends-with-my-boss-on-facebook/#comment-4948 Another option is to put your Boss on a limited profile. This goes hand in hand with the privacy settings Phil mentioned in the post. You can set the level of visibility of your profile such that people on the limited profile can only view what you enable them to view. Photo albums, comments and personal info can be setup for their intended audience. I know a few of my "friends" on FB who have placed me on a limited profile. It definitely makes me feel less special, but then I turn around and do the same to them. So we're even! Another option is to put your Boss on a limited profile. This goes hand in hand with the privacy settings Phil mentioned in the post. You can set the level of visibility of your profile such that people on the limited profile can only view what you enable them to view. Photo albums, comments and personal info can be setup for their intended audience.

I know a few of my “friends” on FB who have placed me on a limited profile. It definitely makes me feel less special, but then I turn around and do the same to them. So we’re even!

]]> By: Laura Sheman http://www.philgerbyshak.com/what-do-i-do-when-i-dont-want-to-be-friends-with-my-boss-on-facebook/comment-page-1/#comment-4947 Laura Sheman Sun, 24 Jan 2010 04:56:47 +0000 http://www.philgerbyshak.com/what-do-i-do-when-i-dont-want-to-be-friends-with-my-boss-on-facebook/#comment-4947 One option is to set up two accounts. A personal one and a business one. That way the boss can be connected (and you don't have to reject him), but then you have another one where you can be your silly self. I do think it is funny when someone allows all their game playing to be completely public. Constant updates from "Farmville" doesn't really add to business credibility. :-) One option is to set up two accounts. A personal one and a business one. That way the boss can be connected (and you don’t have to reject him), but then you have another one where you can be your silly self.

I do think it is funny when someone allows all their game playing to be completely public. Constant updates from “Farmville” doesn’t really add to business credibility. :-)

]]> By: Phil Gerbyshak http://www.philgerbyshak.com/what-do-i-do-when-i-dont-want-to-be-friends-with-my-boss-on-facebook/comment-page-1/#comment-4945 Phil Gerbyshak Sat, 23 Jan 2010 03:56:00 +0000 http://www.philgerbyshak.com/what-do-i-do-when-i-dont-want-to-be-friends-with-my-boss-on-facebook/#comment-4945 Very interesting suggestion Richard. I like it! Very interesting suggestion Richard. I like it!

]]> By: Phil Gerbyshak http://www.philgerbyshak.com/what-do-i-do-when-i-dont-want-to-be-friends-with-my-boss-on-facebook/comment-page-1/#comment-4944 Phil Gerbyshak Sat, 23 Jan 2010 03:55:37 +0000 http://www.philgerbyshak.com/what-do-i-do-when-i-dont-want-to-be-friends-with-my-boss-on-facebook/#comment-4944 Himanshu - So glad you enjoyed the post. and I love your suggestion "Be so good at what you do that your boss would rather ignore it..." That's good advice even if you DON'T do dumb stuff :) Himanshu – So glad you enjoyed the post.

and I love your suggestion “Be so good at what you do that your boss would rather ignore it…” That’s good advice even if you DON’T do dumb stuff :)

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