Overly-social posts on professional networks like LinkedIn solicit a "Put that on Facebook!" reaction from many. But is the line between those networks and purely social media really clear?
Early in the morning of September 14th 2015, a young man in rural Connecticut woke up and headed downstairs for breakfast. Somehow, he tripped and fell down the entire flight of twenty stairs, hitting his head so hard that it split the inch-thick-maple bottom step in two. His severe traumatic brain injury was of the kind seen mostly in high-speed car crashes or helmet-less skiing accidents, and triggered an epic of extreme surgeries (including a hemi-craniotomy), near-death (twice), excruciating rehabilitation and prolonged trauma undergone not only by himself but by his newly-wed wife and their entire families.
The day after the accident, my good friend John Licata, the young man's father-in law, posted a short piece on both FaceBook and LinkedIn to ask for prayers and understanding. Despite the outpouring of support on LinkedIn (close to 40,000 "likes" and nearly as many comments), the negative reaction was vehement enough for John to remove the post. Why would some people react so badly? Are they right to defend the "professional purity" of LinkedIn? Where is a reasonable place to draw the line?
More than a Network, a Virtual Workspace
The success of LinkedIn in particular has made it an extension of our workplace, and a vital tool in our daily interaction with colleagues and business associates, particularly so for those with outward-facing jobs like sales and marketing. In fact, the workplace extension theory holds true for anyone who realizes that well-managed professional networks are just good business and good career curation. No huge leap then to suggest that the behaviors we apply to our physical workplaces are also applicable to professional cyberspaces like LinkedIn.
Following a traumatic personal event, informing colleagues and business associates is a professionally responsible thing to do to. It allows them to cover for you, to give you the time and space you need to be with loved-ones, and to provide the moral support that will likely get you back to work sooner. Why then would it not be responsible to share such news with one's extended professional network? A traumatic event that disrupts one’s personal and professional life cannot be compared to a purely social video post of mom's chihuahua doing a backflip! I believe that in many cases LinkedIn reaches into a distinctly grey - and yes, somewhat FaceBook-like area - that we should not only tolerate but cultivate.
"Friends with Boundaries"
Why cultivate? Firstly because cultivation means control, whereas outright rejection means all bets are off and we lose the ability to moderate our environment. But most importantly we should embrace this space because our highly valued business connections are also our friends at some level - perhaps "friends with boundaries" - but friends nonetheless. How often do you hear someone saying that doing business is only worthwhile if it's conducted with people they like and trust? Isn't that at least part of the definition of a friend?
Know, Like, Trust
This grey area on LinkedIn is arguably the best part of the service precisely because it is where the truly valuable interactions take place - right in the "Know, Like, Trust" cocoon, which is neither coldly professional nor trivially social - the Goldilocks Space, if you will. It's a space to be nurtured, protected from the narcissism and voyeurism of more social platforms, and used to all of our great and mutual benefit. Besides the obviously practical advantages, appropriate personal insights give our professional relationships humanity, which in the final analysis, makes it all worthwhile.
Dare to be Professionally Social
Our professional lives and businesses have a strong and important social component, which translates well to the online environment. Networks like Linkedin are a highly social, even if professional. I would suggest that if people like John use our trusted space to share personal events, that have clear impact on their professional lives, we should welcome them. So even if your news is personal, if you'd share it - appropriately - in the office, with colleagues or with clients, share it within your professional on-line networks too! It's part of your professional workspace.
Footnote: Thankfully and miraculously, John's son-in-law is now recovering well, and recently returned to work, thanks in no small part to networks, personal and professional, online and off.